all who were interested in his preservation, and perhaps somewhat embarrassed the Yellow Dwarf; but his courage failed when he saw the Fairy of the Desert, her head covered with long serpents like Tisiphone, mounted upon a winged griffin, and armed with a lance, rush upon his dear Princess, and strike her so fierce a blow, that she fell into the Queen's arms bathed in her own blood. That tender mother, more deeply-wounded by the blow than was even her daughter, uttered shrieks and lamentations which are indescribable. The King's courage and reason at that sight abandoned him together. He ceased fighting, and ran to rescue the Princess, or perish with her, but the Yellow Dwarf anticipated his movements: he leaped with his Spanish cat into the balcony, snatched the Princess from the arms of the Queen and of the ladies by whom she was surrounded, and then jumping on to the roof of the palace, disappeared with his prize.
The King, motionless with astonishment, was gazing in utter despair on this extraordinary adventure, which unfortunately he had no power to prevent, when, to complete his misery, he felt his eyesight fail him, and that by some irresistible power he was hurried through the vast expanse of air. What misfortunes! Love! cruel Love! Is it thus thou usest those who acknowledge thee their conqueror? The wicked Fairy of the Desert, who came to assist the Yellow Dwarf to carry off the Princess, no sooner set her eyes upon the King of the Gold Mines than her barbarous heart was touched by the charms of that young Prince. She marked him for her prey, and bore him off to the recesses of a frightful cavern, where she loaded him with chains which she had fastened to a rock. She hoped that the fear of approaching death would make him forget Toute-belle, and induce him to do whatever she desired. As soon as they had arrived there, she restored his sight without setting him at liberty, and, assuming by the power of fairy art the graces and charms which nature had denied her, she appeared before him like a lovely nymph, whom chance had conducted to that spot.
"What do I behold!" she cried. "Can it be you, charming Prince? What misfortune has befallen you, and driven you to languish in this miserable abode?" The King, deceived by her appearance, replied, "Alas, fair nymph, I
