Page:Fairytales00auln.djvu/654

592 have to return without the singing-apple; and as I obtained the dancing water through your means, I hope that you will find some other that will enable me to succeed in my present enterprise." "You touch me nearly," replied the Dove, "follow me—I will fly before you—I hope all will be well."

The Prince let her go. After travelling all day long, they arrived close to a mountain of sand. "You must dig here," said the Dove. The Prince, without any demur, immediately began digging, sometimes with his hands, sometimes with his sword. After working for several hours, he found a helmet, a cuirass, and the rest of a suit of armour, with harness for his horse, all of glass. "Arm yourself, and fear nothing from the dragon," said the Dove: "when he sees himself in all these mirrors, he will be so frightened, that, believing they are monsters like himself, he will take flight."

Cheri very much approved of this expedient. He put on the glass armour, and taking the Dove again, they proceeded all through the night together. At break of day they heard a most enchanting melody. The Prince begged the Dove to tell him what it was. "I am persuaded," said she, "that nothing else but the apple could be so melodious; for it plays all the different parts of music of itself, and without touching any instrument, it appears to perform on them in a most enchanting manner." They approached nearer to it. The Prince thought within himself, how he wished the apple would sing something applicable to his own situation. At the same moment he heard these words:—

"Ah!" cried he, answering these lines, "what a charming prediction! I may then hope to be one day happier than I am now; I have just been assured so." The Dove made no reply to this; it was not born a prattler, and never spoke but when absolutely necessary. As he advanced, the beauty of the music increased; and notwithstanding the haste the Prince was in, he was sometimes so delighted, that he stopped to listen, not thinking of anything else; but the sight of the terrible dragon, which suddenly appeared, with his twelve