arrying off the Queen and Princess Moufette."

"Ah! my beloved Dragon!" cried the King, "I swear to you, and to all the
family of dragons, that I will give you your fill to eat of what you
like, and will for ever remain your humble servant." "Do not make any
promises," replied the Dragon, "if you have any thought of not
fulfilling them; for, in that case, misfortunes will fall upon you that
you will not forget as long as you live." The King renewed his
protestations; he was dying of impatience to get possession of his dear
Queen. He mounted on the Dragon's back, as if it was the finest horse in
the world, but the other monsters now advanced to bar his passage. They
fought together, nothing was to be heard but the sharp hissings of the
serpents, nothing to be seen but fire, and sulphur, and saltpetre,
falling in every direction. At last the King reached the palace, but
here his efforts had to be renewed, for the entrances were defended by
bats, owls, and ravens; however, the Dragon, with his claws, his teeth
and tail, cut to pieces even the boldest of these. The Queen, on her
side, who was looking on at this fierce encounter, kicked away pieces of
the wall, and armed herself with these to help her dear husband. They
were at last victorious; they ran into one another's arms, and the work
of disenchantment was completed by a thunderbolt, which fell into the
lake and dried it up.

The friendly Dragon had disappeared with all the other monsters, and the
King, by what means he could not guess, found himself again in his own
capital, seated, with his Queen and Moufette, in a magnificent
dining-hall, with a table spread with exquisite meats in front of them.
Such joy and astonishment as theirs were unknown before. All their
subjects ran in to see the Queen and the young Princess, who, to add to
the wonder of it all, was so superbly dressed, that the eye could hardly
bear to look upon her dazzling jewels.

It is easy to imagine the festivities that now went on at the castle;
masquerades, running at the ring, and tournaments attracted the greatest
princes in the world; but even more were they attracted by the bright
eyes of Moufette. Among those who were the handsomest and most
accomplished in feats of arms, Prince Moufy everywhere was the most
conspicuous. He was universally admired and applauded, and Moufette, who
hitherto had been only in the company of dragons and serpents, did not
withhold her share of praise. No day passe