Marie-Catherine d'Aulnoy

“ As she spoke they reached the Castle of Steel, the side next the sea being the only one which the Yellow Dwarf had left unprotected by the dreadful burning walls.
‘I know quite well,’ said the Mermaid, ‘that the Princess is sitting by the brook-side, just where you saw her as you passed, but as you will have many enemies to fight with before you can reach her, take this sword; armed with it you may dare any danger, and overcome the greatest difficulties, only beware of one thing—that is, never to let it fall from your hand. ”

“ Bellissima was already fifteen years old, and every one of the Princes wished to marry her, but not one dared to say so. How could they when they knew that any of them might have cut off his head five or six times a day just to please her, and she would have thought it a mere trifle, so little did she care? You may imagine how hard-hearted her lovers thought her; and the Queen, who wished to see her married, did not know how to persuade her to think of it seriously.
‘Bellissima,’ she said, ‘I do wish you would not be so proud. What makes you despise all these nice kings? ”

“ He had hardly spoken these words when the lid of the box fell back on the floor with a terrible noise, and to their horror out sprang the Yellow Dwarf, mounted upon a great Spanish cat. ‘Rash youth!’ he cried, rushing between the Fairy of the Desert and the King. ‘Dare to lay a finger upon this illustrious Fairy! Your quarrel is with me only. I am your enemy and your rival. That faithless Princess who would have married you is promised to me. ”

“ The King was struck dumb with astonishment at this unexpected sight; but as soon as she came within speaking distance, she said to him, ‘I know how sad you are at losing your Princess and being kept a prisoner by the Fairy of the Desert; if you like I will help you to escape from this fatal place, where you may otherwise have to drag on a weary existence for thirty years or more.’
The King of the Gold Mines hardly knew what answer to make to this proposal. ”

“ When she awoke she was dismayed to find her basket empty. The cake was all gone! and, to make matters worse, at that moment she heard the roaring of the great lions, who had found out that she was near and were coming to look for her.
‘What shall I do?’ she cried; ‘I shall be eaten up,’ and being too much frightened to run a single step, she began to cry, and leant against the tree under which she had been asleep. Just then she heard some one say: ‘H’m, h’m!’
She looked all round her, and then up at the tree, and there she saw a little tiny man, who was eating oranges. ”

“ Messengers were sent to all the gayest and most refined Courts, particularly to the Court of France, to seek out everything rare and precious to adorn the Princess, although: her beauty was so perfect that nothing she wore could make her look prettier. ”

“ Now Bellissima was much less proud since her adventure with the Yellow Dwarf, and she could not think of a better way of getting rid of the little monster than to marry some powerful king, therefore she replied to their request much more favourably than they had hoped, saying that, though she was very happy as she was, still, to please them, she would consent to marry the King of the Gold Mines. ”