to
the end of another, as signals of encouragement to the Prince; and all
their Court followed suit. As a fact, this was not necessary, for his
own heart and the peril in which he saw Moufette, were sufficient to
animate his courage. And what efforts did he not make! the ground was
covered with stings, claws, horns, wings, and scales of the Dragon; the
earth was coloured blue and green with the mingled blood of the Dragon
and the horse. Five times the Prince fell to the ground, but each time
he rose again and leisurely mounted his horse, and then there were
cannonades, and rushing of flames, and explosions, such as were never
heard or seen before. The Dragon's strength at last gave way, and he
fell; the Prince gave him a final blow, and nobody could believe their
eyes, when from this last great wound, there stepped forth a handsome
and charming prince, in a coat of blue and gold velvet, embroidered with
pearls, while on his head he wore a little Grecian helmet, shaded with
white feathers. He rushed, his arms outspread, towards Prince Moufy, and
embraced him. "What do I not owe you, valiant liberator?" he cried. "You
have delivered me from a worse prison than ever before enclosed a king;
I have languished there since, sixteen years ago, the Fairy Lioness
condemned me to it; and, such was her power, that she would have forced
me, against my will, to devour that adorable Princess; lead me to her
feet, that I may explain to her my misfortune."
Prince Moufy, surprised and delighted at this extraordinary termination
to his adventure, showered civilities on the newly-found Prince. They
hastened to rejoin Moufette, who thanked Heaven a thousand times for her
unhoped-for happiness. The King, the Queen, and all the Court, were
already with her; everybody spoke at once, nobody listened to anybody
else, and they all shed nearly as many tears of joy as they had before
of grief. Finally, that nothing might be wanting to complete their
rejoicing, the good Frog appeared, flying through the air on her hawk,
which had little bells of gold on its feet. When the tinkle, tinkle, of
these was heard, everyone looked up, and saw the cap of roses shining
like the sun, and the Frog as beautiful as the dawn.
The Queen ran towards her, and took her by one of her little paws, and
in the same moment, the wise Frog became a great Queen, with a charming
countenance. "I come," she cried, "to crown the faithful Moufette, who
preferred to risk her lif
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