t be got off.

This adventure had the same effect upon All Fair as the former one had
had upon her mother. She grew melancholy, which was remarked and
wondered at by the whole court. The best way to divert her, they
thought, would be to urge her to marry; which the princess, who was
now become less obstinate on that point than formerly, consented to.
Trusting that such a pigmy as the Yellow Dwarf would not dare to
contend with so gallant a person as the King of the Golden Mines, she
fixed upon that prince for her husband. He was exceedingly rich and
powerful, and loved her to distraction. The most superb preparations
were made for the nuptials, and the happy day was fixed when, as they
were proceeding to the ceremony, they saw moving towards them a box,
upon which sat an old woman remarkable for her ugliness.

"Hold, queen and princess!" cried she, knitting her brows; "remember
the promises you have both made to my friend the Yellow Dwarf. I am
the Desert Fairy; and unless All-Fair consent to marry him, I solemnly
swear to burn my crutch."

The queen and princess were struck almost motionless by this
unexpected address of the fairy; but the Prince of the Golden Mines
was exceeding angry, and holding his sword to her throat, he said,
"Fly, wretch! or thy malice shall cost thee thy life."

No sooner had he uttered these words, than the top of the box flying
off, out came the Yellow Dwarf, mounted upon a large Spanish cat.
Placing himself between the king and the fairy, he exclaimed, "Rash
youth! thy rage shall be levelled at me, not at the Desert Fairy. I am
thy rival, and claim thy princess, who is fast bound to me by her own
promise, her mother's, and the single red hair that you see round her
finger."

This so enraged the king, that he cried out, "Contemptible creature!
wert thou worthy of notice, I would sacrifice thee for thy
presumption."

The Yellow Dwarf, clapping spurs to his cat, and drawing a cutlass,
now defied the king to combat; and down they went into the courtyard.
The sun was immediately turned as red as blood, the air became dark,
it thundered heavily, and the flashes of lightning discovered two
giants vomiting fire on each side of the Yellow Dwarf. The king
behaved with such undaunted courage, as to give the dwarf great
trouble; but he was dismayed when he saw the Desert Fairy, mounted on
a winged griffin, and with her head covered with snakes, strike the
princess so hard with a lance, that she