Some stationed themselves round the floating palace , some sat by the door , while the smallest and lightest perched themselves on the roof . Of course the king was quite ignorant of these arrangements , and boldly entered the palace of the Lion Fairy , who was waiting for him , with her tail lashing furiously , for she still kept her lion 's shape . With a roar that shook the walls she flung herself upon him ; but he was on the watch , and a blow from his sword cut off the paw she had put forth to strike him dead . She fell back , and with his helmet still on and his shield up , he set his foot on her throat . ` Give me back the wife and the child you have stolen from me , ' he said , ` or you shall not live another second ! ' But the fairy answered : ` Look through the window at that lake and see if it is in my power to give them to you . ' And the king looked , and through the crystal walls he beheld his wife and daughter floating on the quicksilver . At that sight the Lion Fairy and all her wickedness was forgotten . Flinging off his helmet , he shouted to them with all his might . The queen knew his voice , and she and Muffette ran to the window and held out their hands . Then the king swore a solemn oath that he would never leave the spot without taking them if it should cost him his life ; and he meant it , though at the moment he did not know what he was undertaking . Three years passed by , and the king was no nearer to obtaining his heart 's desire . He had suffered every hardship that could be imagined -- nettles had been his bed , wild fruits more bitter than gall his food , while his days had been spent in fighting the hideous monsters which kept him from the palace . He had not advanced one single step , nor gained one solitary advantage . Now he was almost in despair , and ready to defy everything and throw himself into the lake . It was at this moment of his blackest misery that , one night , a dragon who had long watched him from the roof crept to his side . ` You thought that love would conquer all obstacles , ' said he ; ` well , you have found it has n't ! But if you will swear to me by your crown and sceptre that you will give me a dinner of the food that I never grow tired of , whenever I choose to ask for it , I will enable you to reach your wife and daughter . ' Ah , how glad the king was to hear that ! What oath would he not have taken so as to clasp his wife and child in is arms ?
Joyfully he swore whatever the XXXXX asked of him ; then he jumped on his back , and in another instant would have been carried by the strong wings into the castle if the nearest monsters had not happened to awake and hear the noise of talking and swum to the shore to give battle .
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