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456 passed, devoured man and child, and killed all the trees and plants he breathed on.

"The King was in the deepest despair. He consulted all the wise men in his dominions, as to what he ought to do to protect his subjects from the misfortunes with which he saw them overwhelmed. They advised him to seek throughout the world for the best physicians and the most excellent remedies; and on the other hand, to offer a free pardon to all malefactors under sentence of death who would undertake to fight the Dragon. The King, approving this advice, acted upon it directly; but without success, for the mortality continued, and the Dragon devoured all who attacked him: so that at last the King had recourse to a Fairy who had been his friend from his earliest infancy. She was very old, and scarcely ever left her bed. He went to see her, and reproached her a thousand times over for permitting Fate to persecute him without coming to his assistance. 'What would you have me do?' said she. 'You have irritated my sisters. They are as powerful as I am, and we rarely act against one another. Try to appease them by giving up your daughter to them. The little Princess belongs to them of right. You have put the Queen into prison. What has that amiable woman done to you that you should treat her so severely? Make up your mind to redeem her pledge to the Fairies; I assure you, you will be greatly rewarded for it.'

"The King my father loved me dearly; but seeing no other mode of saving his kingdoms and delivering himself from the fatal Dragon, he told his friend he would take her advice; that he was willing to give me up to the Fairies, as she had assured him that I should be cherished and treated as a princess of my rank ought to be; that he would also take the Queen back to Court, and that she had only to name the person to whom he should confide the task of carrying me to the Fairy Castle. 'You must take her,' she said, 'in her cradle, to the top of the Mountain of Flowers. You may even remain in its vicinity, if you please, to witness the entertainment that will take place there.' The King told her that in the course of a week he would proceed thither with the Queen, and begged she would give notice to her sister Fairies of his intention, that they might make whatever arrangements they considered necessary.