hould be wedded to so much learning. Our good friend,
Bernardo, was, it is true, married; but since he has been in attendance
at the palace, he has so fallen in love with Princess Altamira that he
no longer notices his wife; therefore, may it please your mercy to
dissolve the first marriage, and announce this new one with her
highness, your daughter?"

The barber at this harangue became so infuriated that he rushed blindly
at the cobbler, and with his razor would have severed his head from the
rest of his body, but that he was prevented by the guard, who held him
down.

"Executioner, do your work!" cried the baffled king; and at one blow the
head of the unfortunate barber rolled on the ground.

Prince Alanbam seeing this, and fearing that more mischief might ensue,
proposed to the king that one hundred knights should be chosen, and that
these should fight for the hand of the lovely Princess Altamira. "I
myself will enter the lists," said the prince; "and the survivor will be
rewarded by marrying your daughter."

"That is a good idea," said the king; and calling together ninety-nine
of his best knights, he bade them fight valiantly, for their reward was
very precious.

Fifty knights, mounted on beautiful chargers, placed themselves on one
side, and were opposed by forty-nine equally well-mounted knights and
Prince Alanbam; and at the word of command, given by the king, they
advanced at headlong speed against each other; but, much to the
astonishment of the spectators, no knight was unhorsed; rather did it
seem that each knight did his utmost to get run through by his opponent.

At it they went again and again, but with the same result, for no man
was hurt, although seeming to court death.

"We will alter the order of things," exclaimed the king. "The knight who
is first wounded shall be the one to marry the princess."

This was no sooner said than the knights seemed to be possessed of a
blind fury, and at the first charge nearly every knight was unhorsed and
every one wounded, while the confusion and noise were awful. They were
all accusing each other of being the first wounded; so that, in utter
despair, the king declared his daughter should be married to the
Church, enter a convent, and thus hide her transcendent beauty.

"No, father," exclaimed the ugly princess; "I will get a husband; and if
in all the states of Spain no one be found worthy enough to be my
husband, I will leave Spain for ever. There is a co