got, but there was compensation in being allowed to look
again upon the daylight. The Witch would take the shape of a lioness,
and the queen and her daughter would seat themselves on her back. In
this fashion they ranged the forests a-hunting.

One day, when the king was resting in a forest to which his ring had
guided him, he saw them shoot by like an arrow from the bow. They did
not perceive him, and when he tried to follow them he lost sight of them
completely. The queen was still as beautiful as of old, despite all that
she had suffered, and she seemed to her husband more attractive than
ever, so that he longed to have her with him again. He felt certain that
the young princess with her was his dear little Moufette, and he
resolved to face death a thousand times rather than abandon his
intention of rescuing her.

With the assistance of his ring he penetrated to the gloomy region in
which the queen had been for so many years. His astonishment was great
to find himself descending to the centre of the earth, but with every
new thing that met his eyes his amazement grew greater.

The Lion-Witch, from whom nothing was hid, knew well the day and hour of
his destined arrival. Much did she wish that the powers in league with
her could have ordered things otherwise, but she resolved to pit her
strength against his to the full.

She built a palace of crystal which floated in the midst of the lake of
quicksilver, rising and falling on its waves. Therein she imprisoned the
queen and her daughter, and assembling the monsters, who were all
admirers of Moufette, she gave them this warning:

'You will lose this beautiful princess if you do not help me to keep her
from a gallant who has come to bear her away.'

The monsters vowed that they would do everything in their power, and
forthwith they surrounded the palace of crystal. The less heavy
stationed themselves upon the roofs and walls, others mounted guard at
the doors, while the remainder filled the lake.

Following the dictates of his faithful ring, the king went first to the
Witch's cavern. She was waiting for him in the form of a lioness, and
the moment he appeared she sprang upon him. But she was not prepared for
his valiant swordsmanship, and as she put forth a paw to fell him to
the ground, he cut it off at the elbow-joint. She yelped loudly and
fell over, whereupon he went up to her and set his foot upon her throat,
swearing that he would kill her. Notwithstanding h