'Ah! Princess,' he cried, 'do not be angry with me. Let me explain everything. I am not faithless or to blame for what has happened. I am a miserable wretch who has displeased you without being able to help himself.'
'Ah!' cried Bellissima, 'did I not see you flying through the air with the loveliest being imaginable? Was that against your will?'
'Indeed it was, Princess,' he answered; 'the wicked Fairy of the Desert, not content with chaining me to a rock, carried me off in her chariot to the other end of the earth, where I should even now be a captive but for the unexpected help of a friendly mermaid, who brought me here to rescue you, my Princess, from the unworthy hands that hold you. Do not refuse the aid of your most faithful lover.' So saying, he threw himself at her feet and held her by her robe. But, alas! in so doing he let fall the magic sword, and the Yellow Dwarf, who was crouching behind a lettuce, no sooner saw it than he sprang out and seized it, well knowing its wonderful power.
The Princess gave a cry of terror on seeing the Dwarf, but this only irritated the little monster; muttering a few magical words he summoned two giants, who bound the King with great chains of iron.
'Now,' said the Dwarf, 'I am master of my rival's fate, but I will give him his life and permission to depart unharmed if you, Princess, will consent to marry me.'
'Let me die a thousand times rather,' cried the unhappy King.
'Alas!' cried the Princess, 'must you die? Could anything be more terrible?'
'That you should marry that little wretch would be far more terrible,' answered the King.
'At least,' continued she, 'let us die together.'
'Let me have the satisfaction of dying for you, my Princess,' said he.
'Oh, no, no!' she cried, turning to the Dwarf; 'rather than that I will do as you wish.'
'Cruel Princess!' said the King, 'would you make my life horrible to me by marrying another before my eyes?'
'Not so,' replied the Yellow Dwarf; 'you are a rival of whom I am too much afraid; you shall not see our marriage.' So saying, in spite of Bellissima's tears and cries, he stabbed the King to the heart with the diamond sword.
The poor Princess, seeing her lover lying dead at her feet, could no longer live without him; she sank down by him and died of a broken heart.
So ended these unfortunate lovers, whom not even the Mermaid could help, because all the magic power had been lost with the diamond sword.
As to the wicked Dwarf, he preferred to see the Princess dead rather than married to the King of the Gold Mines; and the Fairy of the Desert, when she heard of the King's adventures, pulled down the grand monument which she had built, and was so angry at the trick that had been played her that she hated him as much as she had loved him before.
The kind Mermaid, grieved at the sad fate of the lovers, caused them to be changed into two tall palm trees, which stand always side by side, whispering together of their faithful love and caressing one another with their interlacing branches.(1)
(1) Madame d'Aulnoy.
LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD
Once upon a time there lived in a certain village a little country girl, the prettiest creature was ever seen. Her mother was excessively fond of her; and her grandmother doted on her still more. This good woman had made for her a little red riding-hood; which became the girl so extremely well that everybody called her Little Red Riding-Hood.
One day her mother, having made some custards, said to her:
'Go, my dear, and see how thy grandmamma does, for I hear she has been very ill; carry her a custard, and this little pot of butter.'
Little Red Riding-Hood set out immediately to go to her grandmother, who lived in another village.
As she was going through the wood, she met with Gaffer Wolf, who had a very great mind to eat her up, but he dared not, because of some faggot-makers hard by in the forest. He asked her whither she was going. The poor child, who did not know that it was dangerous to stay and hear a wolf talk, said to him:
'I am going to see my grandmamma and carry her a custard and a little pot of butter from my mamma.'
'Does she live far off?' said the Wolf.
'Oh! ay,' answered Little Red Riding-Hood; 'it is beyond that mill you see there, at the first house in the village.'
'Well,' said the Wolf, 'and I'll go and see her too. I'll go this way and you go that, and we shall see who will be there soonest.'
The Wolf began to run as fast as he could, taking the nearest way, and the little girl went by that farthest about, diverting herself in gathering nuts, running after butterflies, and making nosegays of such little flowers as she met with. The Wolf was not long before he got to the old woman's house. He knocked at the door-tap, tap.
'Who's there?'
'Your grandchild, Little Red Riding-Hood,' replied the Wolf, counterfeiting her voice; 'who has brought you a custard and a little pot of butter sent you by mamma.'
The good grandmother, who was in bed, because she was somewhat ill, cried out:
'Pull the bobbin, and the latch will go up.'
The Wolf pulled the bobbin, and the door opened, and then presently he fell upon the good woman and ate her up in a moment, for it was above three days that he had not touched a bit. He then shut the door and went into the grandmother's bed, expecting Little Red Riding-Hood, who came some time afterward and knocked at the door- tap, tap.
'Who's there?'
Little Red Riding-Hood, hearing the big voice of the Wolf, was at first afraid; but believing her grandmother had got a cold and was hoarse, answered:
''Tis your grandchild, Little Red Riding-Hood, who has brought you a custard and a little pot of butter mamma sends you.'
The Wolf cried out to her, softening his voice as much as he could:
'Pull the bobbin, and the latch will go up.'
Little Red Riding-Hood pulled the bobbin, and the door opened.
The Wolf, seeing her come in, said to her, hiding himself under the bed-clothes:
'Put the custard and the little pot of butter upon the stool, and come and lie down with me.'
Little Red Riding-Hood undressed herself and went into bed, where, being greatly amazed to see how her grandmother looked in her night-clothes, she said to her:
'Grandmamma, what great arms you have got!'
'That is the better to hug thee, my dear.'
'Grandmamma, what great legs you have got!'
'That is to run the better, my child.'
'Grandmamma, what great ears you have got!'
'That is to hear the better, my child.'
'Grandmamma, what great eyes you have got!'
'It is to see the better, my child.'
'Grandmamma, what great teeth you have got!'
'That is to eat thee up.'
And, saying these words, this wicked wolf fell upon Little Red Riding-Hood, and ate her all up.
