MIRANDA way till I reached the bottom of a sort of well,
with flames all round me.
‘Then I saw an old hag before me, who said,
“Fiercer flames than these are needed to warm
thy heart.”
‘“ Alas!” said I, “who complains of my coldness?”
‘“T do—I, an unfortunate wretch who adores you
without hope.”
‘Then the fire disappeared, and I knew now that
this old woman was a terribly powerful fairy.
‘“What, Ragotta,” said I, “was this done by your
orders?”
‘“By whose else, think you?” she answered.
“Have you not known for a long time that I
have loved you? Consider how low I stoop—I, a
fairy, to desire the affection of a man such as you.”
*“You ask what I cannot give you,” I answered,
“neither do you go the right way to work to win
my love.”
‘“ What do you object to in me?” asked the fairy.
‘“Tn the first place you are old.”
“Old!” she exclaimed, “I can transform myself and
make myself young and beautiful.”
““ And you have a moustache,” said I.
‘That I can pluck out,” she answered.
‘“And one eye is looking in one direction, the
second eye in another.”
‘“T can put one of them out,” she said.
‘“In a word,” said I, “I can never love you.”
‘In a rage she struck me with her wand, and said:
‘Vou shall feel my resentment. Bea Ram, and
continue so, till some king will suffer you to sit on
his throne and drink out of his cup.”
‘I found myself at once changed into my present
shape, and my courtiers were turned into sheep.’
Miranda was struck by so remarkable a story;
she paid the Ram some civilities, but she could not
encourage him with hope of regaining his form, for
it seeue ae her impossible to believe that any king

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