vain of
than even his stately proboscis, now redoubled his efforts, while the
prince every moment became more exhausted, and his gallant steed
ceased his usual activity. The giant seeing this, watched his
opportunity, till he at length succeeded in throwing a slipping noose,
made by twisting his proboscis over the head of the prince. This he
gradually tightened with all his force, until the prince perceived
himself rapidly suffocating. His eyes failed him, and seemed bursting
from their orbits; his vision presented nothing but gleams of many
colored lights dancing before him; his heart heaved and panted with
throes of desperate agony; his arm became almost nerveless, and his
sword fell from his hand, while the shouts of the giant announced that
the victory was won.

At this moment of extreme peril, when the last gleam of consciousness
lingered in his brain, the prince recollected the bouquet of violets
which he still carried in his bosom, and drawing it forth with a
desperate effort, thrust it into the little pug nose of the giant,
which was directly before him. That instant the proboscis relaxed, as
if by magic, and the giant suddenly untwining its folds, commenced a
fit of sneezing, awful to hear, jumping up several feet from the
ground at every paroxysm, swearing at intervals like a trooper, and
cutting the most enormous capers. The moment Prince Violet recovered
himself sufficiently, he dismounted, and regaining his trusty sword,
belabored the impenetrable hide of the egregious monster with such
arrant good will, that he retreated backward between every fit of
sneezing, until finally falling into the moat, he stuck fast in the
mud, sneezing and roaring most vociferously.

Prince Violet lost no time, but passed swiftly into the castle, and
proceeding through several apartments, far more vast and magnificent
than the palace of King Doddipol, at length came to the study where
the wicked enchanter practiced Mesmerism, and other diabolical
devices. The old sinner was seated in an arm-chair of ebony, curiously
carved, and ornamented with figures of strange, misshapen imps, among
which the prince recognized his old friend, Master Whipswitchem. By
his side stood a female of such transcendent and inimitable beauty,
that the prince at once concluded this was the phantom against whom he
was so emphatically warned by his good friend the fairy. He allowed
himself but one glance, which sufficed to convince him she resembled
ex