| Prince Lionheart |
| Written by Administrator | ||||
Page 8 of 13 By and by the Jinn arrived, and, putting on the Princess-s head once more, cried angrily, -Fee! fa! fum! This room smells of man-s flesh!- Then the Princess pretended to weep, saying, -Do not be angry with me, good Jinn, for how can I know aught? Am I not dead whilst you are away? Eat me if you like, but do not be angry with me!- Whereupon the Jinn, who loved her to distraction, swore he would rather die himself than kill her. -That would be worse for me!- answered the girl, -for if you were to die while you are away from here, it would be very awkward for me: I should be neither dead nor alive.- -Don-t distress yourself!- returned the Jinn; -I am not likely to be killed, for my life lies in something very safe.- -I hope so, I am sure!- replied the Princess, -but I believe you only say that to comfort me. I shall never be content until you tell me where it lies, then I can judge for myself if it is safe.- At first the Jinn refused, but the Princess coaxed and wheedled so prettily, and he began to get so very sleepy, that at last he replied, -I shall never be killed except by a Prince called Lionheart; nor by him unless he can find the solitary tree, where a dog and a horse keep sentinel day and night. Even then he must pass these warders unhurt, climb the tree, kill the starling which sits singing in a golden cage on the topmost branch, tear open its crop, and destroy the bumble bee it contains. So I am safe; for it would need a lion-s heart, or great wisdom, to reach the tree and overcome its guardians.- -How are they to be overcome?- pleased the Princess; -tell me that, and I shall be satisfied.- The Jinn, who was more than half asleep, and quite tired of being cross-questioned, answered drowsily, -In front of the horse lies a heap of bones, and in front of the dog a heap of grass. Whoever takes a long stick and changes the heaps, so that the horse has grass, and the dog bones, will have no difficulty in passing.- |
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