from time to time flagg-who was a great eavesdropper -had listened to fools tell tales about young princes who escaped the clutches of evil genies by uttering a simple magic word and popping out of sight , or beautiful young princesses ( in the stories they were always beautiful , although flagg 's experience had been that most princesses were spoiled rotten and , as the end products of long , inbred family lines , ugly as sin and stupid in the bargain ) who tricked great ogres into becoming flies , which they then quickly swatted .