the winning place. "Ye gods!" cried he, speaking to his horse, "we are lost; I see nothing of Swift." "My lord," said Comrade, "Fine-Ear must listen, perhaps he will be able to tell us what he is about." Fine-Ear threw himself upon the ground, and although he was two leagues from him, he could hear him snoring. "Truly," said he, "he has no thoughts of coming; he sleeps as though he was in bed." "Ah! what shall we do then?" again cried Fortuné. "Master," said Comrade, "the good Marksman must let fly an arrow at the tip of his ear, to awake him." The good Marksman took his bow, and aimed so truly, that he pierced Swift's ear: the pain woke him, he opened his eyes, he saw the Princess nearly at the goal, and heard nothing but shouts of joy, and great applause. He was at first astonished, but he soon regained the ground he had lost by sleeping. It appeared as though the winds were carrying him along, and they could not follow him with their eyes—in short, he arrived first, with the arrow still in his ear, for he had not had the time to take it out.
The Emperor was so astonished at the three events which had come to pass since the arrival of the ambassador, that he believed the gods favoured him, and that he could no longer defer keeping his word. "Approach," said he to Fortuné, "that you may learn from my own lips, that I consent that you shall take from hence as much as you, or one of your men can carry, of your master's treasures; for you cannot suppose I would ever do more than that, nor that I would let either his soldiers, his subjects, or his horses go." The ambassador made him a profound bow; he told him that he was much obliged to him, and that he begged he would give his orders thereupon.
Matapa, excessively mortified, spoke to his treasurer, and then went to a palace that he had just without the walls of the city. Fortuné and his attendants immediately asked for admission into all the places where the king's furniture, curiosities, money, and jewels were deposited. They hid nothing from him, but it was on condition that but one man should be laden with them. Strong-back made his appearance, and with his assistance the ambassador carried off all the furniture that was in the Emperor's palace, five hundred statues of gold taller than giants, coaches, chariots, and all sorts of
