sing
furiously, she called her chariot, mounted it, rose in the air and tried
to launch upon Drolette all the venom of her toads in order to suffocate
her.

But Drolette knew her sister perfectly. Her faithful larks held the door
of her chariot open and she sprang within. The larks rose in the air,
hovered above the toads, and then lowered themselves rapidly upon them.
The toads, in spite of their weight, escaped the blows by turning
adroitly to one side. They however threw their venom on the larks which
were nearest to them, who died instantly.

Drolette detached them with the rapidity of a thunder-bolt, rose again
in the air and fell so adroitly on the toads, that the larks tore out
their eyes with their claws, before Furious had time to come to the
rescue of her army.

The outcries of the toads and the hissing of the larks made a deafening
noise; and the fairy Drolette called out to her friends, who were
regarding the combat with terror:--

"Withdraw immediately and stop your ears!"

Which was done instantly, in obedience to her command.

The fairy Furious made one last effort. She guided her blinded toads in
such a way as to meet the larks face to face, and to dart their venom
upon them.

But Drolette rose higher and higher in the air and Furious found herself
always under her sister's chariot.

At last, unable to contain her rage, Furious cried out:--

"You are assisted by the queen of the fairies, an old fool whom I should
gladly see in the lower regions!"

Scarcely had she pronounced these words when her chariot fell heavily to
the earth. The toads perished and the chariot disappeared. The fairy
Furious only remained, in the form of an enormous toad. She wished to
speak but she could only bellow and snuffle. She gazed at Drolette and
her larks--at Prince Marvellous, Violette and Agnella, in a transport of
rage but her power was destroyed.

The fairy Drolette lowered her chariot, descended to the earth and
said:--

"The queen of the fairies has punished you for your audacity, sister.
Repent, if you wish to obtain pardon."

The only answer of Furious was to spit forth her poisonous venom, which
happily reached no one.

Drolette extended her wand towards her and said:

"I command you to disappear and never to appear again to the prince
Marvellous, to Violette or to their mother."

Drolette had scarcely uttered these words when the toad disappeared;
there remained no vestige of the chariot or of