air, to precipitate herself from the battlements; but as the slightest noise alarmed her, and she heard the young Pigeon flutter in the tree, she looked up to ascertain the cause, and the bird at the same moment alighted on her shoulder and dropped the important ring into her bosom. The Princess, surprised at the caresses of this beautiful bird and his charming plumage, was equally so at the present he had made her. She examined the ring: she observed upon it some mysterious characters, and was still holding it in her hand when the giant, unobserved by her, entered the garden.
One of the women who waited on her had informed this dreadful lover of the despair of the Princess, and that she had resolved to kill herself rather than marry him. When he heard that she had ascended to the top of the tower so early in the morning, he anticipated some fatal catastrophe. His heart, which till then had never been agitated by any but the most barbarous passions, was so enchanted by the beautiful eyes of that amiable maiden that he loved her tenderly. Ye gods! what were her feelings at the sight of him. She dreaded that he would deprive her of the opportunity of destroying herself. The poor Pigeon was not a little alarmed at this formidable Colossus. In her confusion the Princess slipped the ring on her finger, and, oh, wonderful to relate, she was instantly changed into a dove, and flew off with the faithful Pigeon as fast as her wings could carry her.
Never was anybody so astonished as the Giant. After staring at his mistress, who in the form of a dove was cleaving the vast expanse of air, he stood for some time perfectly motionless. Then uttered such yells and howls that the very mountains shook with them. They ended only with his life, which he terminated by flinging himself into the sea, wherein it was much fitter he should be drowned than that charming Princess. She, in the meanwhile, was flying far away with her guide; but when they had got to a sufficient distance to feel out of danger, they alighted gently in a woodland spot, shaded with many trees, and carpeted with grass and flowers.
Constancia was still ignorant that the Pigeon was her lover. He was exceedingly distressed that he could not inform her of the fact by word of mouth, when suddenly he felt an invisible hand loosen his tongue. In great delight at this, he
