462 THE YELLOW DWARF.

felt inclined to pick some; therefore, setting down her basket,
in which she carried the cake, she plentifully indulged herself.
‘The lions now began to roar; when All-Fair, looking for her
cake, was thrown into the utmost trouble to find it gone ; and
as she was lamenting her de-
plorable situation the Yellow
Dwarf presented himself to her
with these words :—‘ Lovely
princess, dry up your tears, and
hear what I am going to say.
You need not proceed to the
Desert Fairy, to know the
reason of your mother’s indis-
position; she is ungenerous
enough to repent having pro-
mised you, her only daughter,
to me in marriage.” — How!”
interrupted the princess; “my
mother arcaiteed me to you in marriage ; you! such a fright
as you!” —“ None of your scoffs,” retumed the Yellow Dwarf,
“I wish you not to rouse up my anger. If you will promise to
marry me, I will be the tenderest and most loving husband in
the world;—if not, save yourself from the lions, if you can.” ‘The
princess felt the full force of this shock, and was compelled to
give her word that she would have the dwarf; but such was the
agony of her mind, that she fell into a swoon, and, when she
recovered, she found herself in her own bed, finely adorned with
ribands, with a ring of a single red hair, so fastened round her
finger that it could not be got off.
This adventure had the same effect upon All-Fair, as the
former had upon her mother. She grew melancholy, which
was remarked and wondered at by the whole court. The best