xcept the emperor, nobody perceived the annoyances of the
darkness except the emperor, and nobody was more unhappy than the
emperor. So he advised and commanded his sons, Florea and Costan, to
set out and free the world from darkness.

Whoever lies once, will lie a second time; Florea mounted his horse
and rode by the way Petru had smoothed to the Fairy Aurora's kingdom.
When he had nearly reached her court, the fairy felt that some
stranger was approaching.

"Is any body coming?" she asked, rather sharply.

"Some one is coming," replied the dragons who mounted guard at the
bridge.

"How is he coming? Over or under the bridge?"

The bridge was what we know. Florea passed under it.

"The hero is passing under the bridge!" replied the dragons, somewhat
amused.

"See to him, or the light will become black to you," said the fairy,
receiving Florea at his entrance. Florea was thrilled by the sight of
so much beauty.

"Welcome, my hero! Did you steal the water?"

"Yes, you are right, I took it."

"Did you drink the wine?"

Florea remained silent.

"Did you eat the bread?"

"No," said Florea.

"Did you bite me?"

Florea was silent.

"Then may you lose your sight! I'll teach you to tell another
falsehood!" said the fairy, angrily, giving Florea two cuffs, one on
the right ear and the other on the left, till every thing grew as
dark before his eyes as mortal sin. Two dragons led the blind prince
out of the palace, and the matter was settled.

Costan now set out to follow his brother's example. He set out for the
Fairy Aurora's palace, reached it, and fared just as Florea had
done--he, too, left it a blind man.

There was now not a single ray of light in the whole earth. The world
was deprived of light on account of one emperor's eyes.

After the Fairy Aurora had found that she could not recover Petru, she
summoned every one in her whole domain; the fairies, the flowers, in
short, all her subjects. Even the sun himself was obliged to come down
from the sky, unharness the horses from his chariot, lead them to the
stable, and go to the Fairy Aurora's palace. When all were thus
assembled, the beautiful queen gave them no further commands, but in
her grief and suffering bade farewell to all her subjects, thanked
them for their love and confidence, and sent them out into the world,
that each one might act according to his own ideas, keeping only two
lions, two large and two small dragons, and two giants, tha