318 17H/I

with a terrible-looking Dragon asleep at her feet. As soon as she perceived the Prince she called out in a pitiful voice :

“Oh'! beautiful youth, Heaven has sent you to rescue me from my sad fate; I mm- plore you to frec me from the clutches of this horrible monster, who has carriecd me away irom my father, the King of Mcrovalle, and has shut me up in this gloomy tower, where 1 am nearly dead with loneliness and terror.”

“Woe is me,” answered the Prince, “but what can I do to help you, lovely maiden, for what mortal could cver cross that lake? and who could face this terrible Dragon, who spreads terror and desolation wher- ever he goes? But wait a little, per- haps I may be able to summon other help to your aid.” And with these words hc threw the feather, the hair, and the scale, which his three brothers-in-lawhad given him, on the ground, calling out at the same time: “ Help! help ! help !”

In a moment the Eagle, the Stag, and thz Dolphin al)puncd

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before him, and cried m one volce : “Ilcr we are. What are

your commands?”

Tittone, who was overjoyed at their appearance, exclaimed: 1 desire that this poor Princess should be freed from the clutches of that Dragon, and that 1 should carry her home with me as my bride.”

“Very well,” answered the Eagle, “all shall be done as you desire 75 and turning to the Stag he said, “let us lose no time, but let us strike while the iron 1s hot !'”

With these words the Kagle gave a shrill cry, and n onc moment th(, air was black with a flight of vultures, who flew into the window of the tower, and scizing the beautiful Princess, they borc her over to the spot where the Prince and his brothers-in-law stood. And if the maiden looked as fair as the moon in the distance, when you saw her near she was as beautiful andradiant asthesun.

STRAND

MAGAZINL.

But while "T'ittone was embracing her, and saying all manner of pretty things to his fair lmdp, the Dragon awoke, and fl\mtr out of the window he set upon Tittone, mtcndmg to kill him on the spot. Dut m a second the

Star caused a quantity of lhons, tivers O ) b} S ’ panthers, bears, and wild cats to appear,

who sprang upon the Dragon and tore him to picces with their claws.

When Tittone and the Princess saw that their enemy was dead for cver, they deter- mined to leave the place as soon as possible, but before they started the Dolphin said :

“i oo would like to do something for you” And in order that no trace should remain of the grim castle where the Princess had spent such unhappy hours, he caused

me b ;

““THE DRAGON

the waters of the lake to overflow, and to beat so vio-

lently against the tower that it fell,

and the ruins dis- appeared 1n the Waves.

Tittone thanked his brothers-in-law warmly for having thus rescued his beautiful bride, but the Beasts replied: “ OQur thanks are rather due to the Princess, because 1t 1s through her that we are able once 0 more to - assumec R our human forme. At our births, a wicked fairy, who owed our mother a orudge, condemmned us, when we grew up, to go about the world in the shape of three beasts, until we should have rescued a King' daughter from some great danger ; the longed-for moment has come at last, and alrcady we feel new life in our breasts and fresh blood flowing through our veins,” and cven as they were speaking, thev turned into three beautiful young men, who, each in turn, cmbraced their brother-in-law, and made low bows to the Princess, who was nearly beside herself with joy and amaze- ment.

Then Tittone spoke with a sigh: “ Ah'! why can my poor father and mother not

\. =g

FLYING OUT OF THE WINDOW.'