Page:Storys of Prince Lupin (1).pdf/17

17 Spanish cat, who placing himself between the king and the fairy, uttered these words: ---"Rash youth, thy rage should be levelled at me, not at the Desert Fairy; I am thy rival, and claim her by promise, and a single hair 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." Whereupon the Yellow Dwarf clapping spurs to his cat, and drawing a large cutlass, defied the king to combat; and so they went into the court-yard. The sun then immediately turned red as blood, and it became dark: thunder and lightning followed, by the flashes whereof were perceived to giants vomiting fire on each side of the Yellow Dwarf.

The king behaved with such undaunted courage as to give the Dwarf great perplexity; but was dismayed, when he saw the Desert Fairy, mounted on a winged griffin, with her head covered with snakes, strike the princess so heard with a lance, that she fell into the queen’s arms all over with blood. He left the combat to go to her relief; but the dwarf was to quick for him, and, flying on his Spanish cat to the balcony where she was, he took her from her mother’s arms, leaned with her upon