various instruments she had been learning for several months past, and upon which she performed admirably. One day when she was in the Queen's room the King entered, with his cheeks bathed in tears, and embracing his daughter, exclaimed, "Oh, my child! oh, unfortunate father! oh, unhappy king!" He could say no more,—sighs choked his utterance. The Queen and the Princess, much terrified, inquired what was the matter. He at length told them that a giant of an enormous size had just arrived, who said he was an ambassador from the Dragon of the Lake, who, in discharge of the promise that he had exacted from the King as the condition on which he would assist him to fight and conquer the monsters, had sent to demand the Princess Moufette, that he might eat her in a pie; that the King had bound himself by the most awful oaths to give the Dragon whatever he desired: and in those days kings knew not how to break their words.
The Queen, hearing these sad tidings, uttered piercing cries, and strained the Princess in her arms. "They shall take my life sooner," said she, "than make me give up my daughter to this monster; let him take our kingdom, and all that we possess! Unnatural father, could you be a party to such a barbarous act? What! Put my child into a pie? Ah, I cannot bear the thought of it! Send this cruel ambassador to me, perhaps my affliction may move him to pity."
The King did not reply; he went to the giant, and brought him immediately to the Queen, who threw herself at his feet, and with her daughter entreated him to have pity upon them, and to persuade the Dragon to take all that they had, and to save Moufette's life; but he told them it did not depend upon him at all; that the Dragon was too obstinate, and too fond of good living; that when he took it into his head to eat some little tit-bit, all the gods put together could not change his fancy: that he advised them as a friend to submit with a good grace, or still greater misfortunes might befal them. At these words the Queen fainted, and so would the Princess have done had she not been obliged to assist her mother.
This sad news was scarcely spread through the palace, before everybody in the city knew it, and nothing was to be heard but sighs and lamentations; for Moufette was adored. The King could not make up his mind to give her to the giant, and the giant, who had already waited several days,
