k brown in colour, and pawed the ground in front of him impatiently,
and on his back was seated a young girl whom the Princess gazed at with
astonishment. She really thought for a moment it was herself, and that
she was dreaming! For the girl was dressed in the Princess's own white
and golden robe, and her face could not be seen, for it was covered with
a thick veil, and numbers of women and servants standing about were
weeping bitterly. And so, evidently, was the girl herself. Then the
great bull gave another impatient toss, the girl seized his horns to
keep herself from falling, and off he set, with a terrible rush: and a
great shout, half of fear, half of rejoicing, as seeing him go, rose
from the people about.

"Just at this moment the Princess heard some one approaching her room.
She hastily drew the curtains, and sat down playing with her balls, as
if she had seen nothing.

"She said not a word to any one, but she had her own thoughts, and that
evening she was sent for to her father and mother, who, as usual,
received her with caresses and every sign of the tenderest affection.
And several days passed quietly, but still the Princess had her own
thoughts.

"And one evening when she was sitting with her mother, suddenly the king
entered the room in the greatest trouble, and not seeing the Princess,
for it was dusk, he exclaimed,

"'It has failed again. The monster is not to be deceived. He vows he
will not cease his ravages till he gets the real Princess, our beloved
daughter. He has appeared again, and is more infuriated than ever,
tearing up trees by the roots, destroying the people's houses, tramping
over their fields, and half killing all the country with terror. What is
to be done? The people say they can endure it no longer. The girl Bruna
was found bruised and bleeding by the wayside a long way from this, and
she gives the same account as the gardener's daughter of the monster's
rage at finding he had been deceived.'

"The queen had tried to prevent the king's relating all this, but he was
too excited to notice her hints, and, indeed, after the first few words,
the Princess had heard enough. She started from her seat and came
forward. And when he saw her, the king threw up his hands in despair.
But the Princess said quietly, 'Father, you must tell me the whole.'

"So they had to tell her the whole. For many weeks past the terrible
monster she had seen in the courtyard had been filling the country with