ough all the islands for tidings of his sister. So
setting sail, he went about and about, until at length he was carried
to an island, where lived the Dolphin with Rita. And no sooner had he
landed, than his sister saw and recognised him in the same manner as
the others had done, and he was received by her husband with all
possible affection.

Now after a while Tittone wished to set out again to go and visit his
father and mother, whom he had not seen for so long a time. So the
Dolphin gave him one of his scales, telling him the same as the others
had; and Tittone, mounting a horse, set out on his travels. But he had
hardly proceeded half a mile from the seashore, when entering a
wood--the abode of Fear and the Shades, where a continual fair of
darkness and terror was kept up--he found a great tower in the middle
of a lake, whose waters were kissing the feet of the trees, and
entreating them not to let the Sun witness their pranks. At a window in
the tower Tittone saw a most beautiful maiden sitting at the feet of a
hideous dragon, who was asleep. When the damsel saw Tittone, she said
in a low and piteous voice, "O noble youth, sent perchance by heaven to
comfort me in my miseries in this place, where the face of a Christian
is never seen, release me from the power of this tyrannical serpent,
who has carried me off from my father, the King of Bright-Valley, and
shut me up in this frightful tower, where I must die a miserable death."

"Alas, my beauteous lady!" replied Tittone, "what can I do to serve
thee? Who can pass this lake? Who can climb this tower? Who can
approach yon horrid dragon, that carries terror in his look, sows fear,
and causes dismay to spring up? But softly, wait a minute, and we'll
find a way with another's help to drive this serpent away. Step by
step--the more haste, the worse speed: we shall soon see whether tis
egg or wind." And so saying he threw the feather, the hair, and the
scale, which his brothers-in-law had given him, on the ground,
exclaiming, "Come hither, come hither!" And falling on the earth like
drops of summer rain, which makes the frogs spring up, suddenly there
appeared the Falcon, the Stag, and the Dolphin, who cried out all
together, "Behold us here! what are your commands?"

When Tittone saw this, he said with great joy, "I wish for nothing but
to release this poor damsel from the claws of yon dragon, to take her
away from this tower, to lay it all in ruins, and to carry thi