actly the charming princess he had so often seen in his dreams, and
which had like to have proved fatal. Then shutting his eyes, he
advanced backward, sword in hand, toward the enchanter, who at the
first moment he saw him, began those mysterious wavings of the hand
with which he was wont to put his victims to sleep, and those
cabalistic words which changed men into beasts, insects, and reptiles.
But the prince having his eyes shut, and his back toward him, could
not see his motions, and the enchanter being horribly affrighted, as
well as naturally a great blockhead, was so long in recollecting the
formula of his incantation, that the prince, seeing by a sly glance
over the shoulder, that he was sufficiently near, suddenly turned
round, and with one blow severed his head from his shoulders. Then
catching it before it fell to the ground, he threw it into the great
kettle that hung boiling over the fire. He was just in time, for
Curmudgeon had got to the last but one of his cabalistic words, and in
a single instant more, Prince Violet would have been changed into a
cabbage. No sooner was the head thrown into the kettle, than the water
began to hiss and foam, and blaze up in spires of blue sulphureous
flame, until finally the kettle burst into a thousand fragments, and
the head disappeared up the chimney. Then the phantom beauty, uttering
a shrill, dismal scream, melted into air--and the enchantment was
dissolved forever. At that moment Prince Violet heard a voice from the
skies, as tuneful as the music of the spheres, saying, "Well done, my
prince, the death of the wicked enchanter was necessary to the
recovery of thy lost gold-fish--for while he lived thou wouldst never
have seen it again. Go on--thy destiny ere long will be accomplished."
A strain of aerial music succeeded, which gradually faded into
whispering zephyrs, bearing on their wings the mingled perfume of a
thousand flowers.

The prince took possession of the castle by right of conquest; and
when the people over whom the enchanter had reigned with a cruel and
despotic sway heard of the gallantry with which he had rid them of
their tyrant, they gathered themselves together, and with one voice
chose him for their king.

Prince Violet proved an excellent sovereign; but, though he made his
subjects happy, he partook not in what he so freely bestowed on
others. The recollection of the little gold-fish, and of the beautiful
princess he had so often seen in his dre