Now just at the time that he was busied thus, the Queen felt a cutting
pain at her heart; and seeing herself brought to a bad pass, she
perceived her error in having purchased death with ready money. So she
called her stepson and told him what the astrologers had predicted--how
her life depended on that of the dragon, and how she feared that
Miuccio had killed him, for she felt herself gradually sliding away.
Then the King replied, "If you knew that the life of the dragon was the
prop of your life and the root of your days, why did you make me send
Miuccio? Who is in fault? You must have done yourself the mischief, and
you must suffer for it; you have broken the glass, and you may pay the
cost." And the Queen answered, "I never thought that such a stripling
could have the skill and strength to overthrow an animal which made
nothing of an army, and I expected that he would have left his rags
there. But since I reckoned without my host, and the bark of my
projects is gone out of its course, do me one kindness if you love me.
When I am dead, take a sponge dipped in the blood of this dragon and
anoint with it all the extremities of my body before you bury me."

"That is but a small thing for the love I bear you," replied the King;
"and if the blood of the dragon is not enough, I will add my own to
give you satisfaction." The Queen was about to thank him, but the
breath left her with the speech; for just then Miuccio had made an end
of scoring the dragon.

No sooner had Miuccio come into the King's presence with the news of
what he had done than the King ordered him to go back for the dragon's
blood; but being curious to see the deed done by Miuccio's hand, he
followed him. And as Miuccio was going out of the palace gate, the bird
met him, and said, "Whither are you going?" and Miuccio answered, "I am
going whither the King sends me; he makes me fly backwards and forwards
like a shuttle, and never lets me rest an hour." "What to do?" said the
bird. "To fetch the blood of the dragon," said Miuccio. And the bird
replied, "Ah, wretched youth! this dragon's blood will be bull's blood
to you, and make you burst; for this blood will cause to spring up
again the evil seed of all your misfortunes. The Queen is continually
exposing you to new dangers that you may lose your life; and the King,
who lets this odious creature put the pack-saddle on him, orders you,
like a castaway, to endanger your person, which is his own flesh and
bl