me
Minister, to tell the King that the Princess and the Ambassador had
landed on Squirrel Island, but that not knowing the country he had not
pursued them, for fear of being captured by concealed enemies. Their
Majesties were overjoyed at the news, and the King sent for a great
book, each leaf of which was eight ells long. It was the work of a very
clever Fairy, and contained a description of the whole earth. He very
soon found that Squirrel Island was uninhabited.

'Go,' said he, to Jack-the-Chatterer, 'tell the Admiral from me to land
at once. I am surprised at his not having done so sooner.' As soon as
this message reached the fleet, every preparation was made for war, and
the noise was so great that it reached the ears of the Princess, who at
once flew to protect her lover. As he was not very brave he accepted her
aid gladly.

'You stand behind me,' said she, 'and I will hold the carbuncle which
will make us invisible, and with the King's dagger I can protect you
from the enemy.' So when the soldiers landed they could see nothing, but
the Princess touched them one after another with the dagger, and they
fell insensible upon the sand, so that at last the Admiral, seeing that
there was some enchantment, hastily gave orders for a retreat to be
sounded, and got his men back into their boats in great confusion.

Fanfaronade, being once more left with the Princess, began to think that
if he could get rid of her, and possess himself of the carbuncle and the
dagger, he would be able to make his escape. So as they walked back over
the cliffs he gave the Princess a great push, hoping she would fall
into the sea; but she stepped aside so quickly that he only succeeded in
overbalancing himself, and over he went, and sank to the bottom of the
sea like a lump of lead, and was never heard of any more. While the
Princess was still looking after him in horror, her attention was
attracted by a rushing noise over her head, and looking up she saw two
chariots approaching rapidly from opposite directions. One was bright
and glittering, and drawn by swans and peacocks, while the Fairy who sat
in it was beautiful as a sunbeam; but the other was drawn by bats and
ravens, and contained a frightful little Dwarf, who was dressed in
a snake's skin, and wore a great toad upon her head for a hood. The
chariots met with a frightful crash in mid-air, and the Princess looked
on in breathless anxiety while a furious battle took place between the