by their
assistance, praying Heaven that no mouse-trap might ever lay hold of
them, that no cat might ever harm them, and that no arsenic might ever
poison them.

Then, leaving that country, Minecco Aniello returned to Dark-Grotto
even more handsome than before, and was received by the King and his
daughter with the greatest affection in the world. And, having ordered
the two asses to be cast down from a rock, he lived happily with his
wife, never more taking the ring from his finger that he might not
again commit such a folly, for--

"The cat who has been burnt with fire ever after fears the cold
hearthstone."

XXI

THE THREE ENCHANTED PRINCES

Once upon a time the King of Green-Bank had three daughters, who were
perfect jewels, with whom three sons of the King of Fair-Meadow were
desperately in love. But these Princes having been changed into animals
by the spell of a fairy, the King of Green-Bank disdained to give them
his daughters to wife. Whereupon the first, who was a beautiful Falcon,
called together all the birds to a council; and there came the
chaffinches, tomtits, woodpeckers, fly-catchers, jays, blackbirds,
cuckoos, thrushes, and every other kind of bird. And when they were all
assembled at his summons, he ordered them to destroy all the blossoms
on the trees of Green-Bank, so that not a flower or leaf should remain.
The second Prince, who was a Stag, summoning all the goats, rabbits,
hares, hedgehogs, and other animals of that country, laid waste all the
corn-fields so that there was not a single blade of grass or corn left.
The third Prince, who was a Dolphin, consulting together with a hundred
monsters of the sea, made such a tempest arise upon the coast that not
a boat escaped.

Now the King saw that matters were going from bad to worse, and that he
could not remedy the mischief which these three wild lovers were
causing; so he resolved to get out of his trouble, and made up his mind
to give them his daughters to wife; and thereupon, without wanting
either feasts or songs, they carried their brides off and out of the
kingdom.

On parting from her daughters, Granzolla the Queen gave each of them a
ring, one exactly like the other, telling them that if they happened to
be separated, and after a while to meet again, or to see any of their
kinsfolk, they would recognise one another by means of these rings. So
taking their leave they departed. And the Falcon carried Fabiella, who
was the