r Lala," said the Princess, "let us be off at once. I do
not know why, but I feel so frightened, just as though some misfortune
were about to come upon me."

"That is nonsense," said the demon. "But do you seat yourself upon my
head, and we will be off at once."

The demon wore a buckler upon his head, and now he stooped, and she
seated herself upon it, but the lad was quick and sprang up and took
his place beside her.

"Ai! Ai!" cried the demon, "but you are heavy to-day, Princess."

[Illustration: Then the demon flew out through the window and away
through the night.]

"I do not know what you mean," answered the Princess. "I am no heavier
and no lighter than I was last night."

Then the demon flew out through the window and away through the night
so fast that the lad had much ado to keep from falling off.

After a while they came to a garden the like of which the lad had
never seen before and never expected to see again, for the leaves of
the trees were of silver, and the branches were of gold, and the
fruits were emeralds and rubies.

As they passed through it the lad stretched out his hand and broke off
a twig and put it in his bosom. Then all the trees in the garden began
to sigh and moan.

"Child of man! Child of man! why do you break and
torture us?"

The Princess shuddered. "Some one besides ourselves is here in the
garden," she cried.

"That cannot be, or we would see him," answered the demon, but he was
frightened and flew on faster than before.

Presently they came to another garden and it was even more wonderful
than the first, for here the trees were of diamonds, and the fruits of
every kind of precious stones you can think of.

As they passed through it the lad stretched out his hand and broke off
a twig. Then all the trees began to sigh and moan.

"Child of man! Child of man! Why do you break and torture us?" they
cried.

"Oh, my dear Lala, what did I tell you?" asked the Princess. "I am
afraid"; and she trembled all over her body.

The demon answered nothing, but he flew on even faster than ever.

Soon after they came to a magnificent palace, and the demon flew in
through a window and alighted. Then the Princess and the lad leaped
down from the buckler, and the demon was glad to have the weight off
him. After that he vanished.

The Princess opened a door and went into another room, with the lad
close behind her, and there was the King of all the demons, and he was
so huge and bla