to this cave, you
will meet with a very deep hole, into which you must go down, and you
will find it full of toads, adders and serpents. At the bottom of this
hole there is a kind of cellar, through which runs the fountain of
beauty and health. This is the water I must have; its virtues are
wonderful; for the fair, by washing in it, preserve their beauty; and
the deformed it renders beautiful; if they are young, it preserves them
always youthful; and if old it makes them young again. Now judge you,
Avenant, whether I will ever leave my kingdom without carrying some of
this water along with me." "Madam," said he, "you are so beautiful, that
this water will be of no use to you; but I am an unfortunate ambassador,
whose death you seek. However, I will go in search of what you desire,
though I am certain never to return."

At length he arrived at the top of a mountain, where he sat down to rest
himself; giving his horse liberty to feed, and Cabriole to run after the
flies. He knew that the gloomy cave was not far off, and looked about to
see whether he could discover it; and at length he perceived a horrid
rock as black as ink, whence issued a thick smoke; and immediately after
he spied one of the dragons casting forth fire from his jaws and eyes;
his skin all over yellow and green, with prodigious claws and a long
tail rolled up in an hundred folds. Avenant, with a resolution to die in
the attempt, drew his sword, and with the phial which the Fair One with
Locks of Gold had given him to fill with the water of beauty, went
towards the cave, saying to his little dog, "Cabriole, here is an end of
me; I never shall be able to get this water, it is so well guarded by
the dragons; therefore when I am dead, fill this phial with my blood,
and carry it to my princess, that she may see what her severity has cost
me: then go to the king my master and give him an account of my
misfortunes." While he was saying this, he heard a voice call "Avenant,
Avenant!" "Who calls me?" said he; and presently he espied an owl in the
hole of an old hollow tree, who, calling him again, said, "You rescued
me from the fowler's net, where I had been assuredly taken, had you not
delivered me. I promised to make you amends, and now the time is come;
give me your phial; I am acquainted with all the secret inlets into the
gloomy cave, and will go and fetch you the water of beauty." Avenant
most gladly gave the phial, and the owl, entering without any impedim