ens my mouth;
you hide under the bed and listen, and afterwards think what has to be
done." "Good! good!" The princess locked her mouth, put the key under
the pillow, and crawled under the bed. But at midnight a great noise was
heard; the earth opened, lightning, smoke, and smell of sulphur, and the
magician appeared in a magician's robe. With the magician was a giant
with a bowl of food, and two servants with two torches. The magician
sent away the servants, and locked the doors, took the key, and opened
the mouth of the king's daughter. While they were eating, she said:
"Magician, I have a thought: out of curiosity I would like to know what
it would be necessary for me to do to escape from here." "You want to
know a great deal, my daughter!" "Never mind, I don't care to know."
"However, I will tell you. It would be necessary to make a mine all
around the palace, and precisely at midnight, when I am on the point of
entering, to explode the mine: you will find yourself with your father,
and I will fly up in the air." "It's as if you had not told any one,"
said the young girl. The magician dressed himself and went away. After a
few hours the princess came out from under the bed, took leave of her
little sister, for she already called her "little sister," and departed.

She went back to the trap-door and, at a certain point, stopped and
called for help. The king heard her, and had a rope lowered. The
princess climbed up and related everything to the king. He was
astounded, and began the mine, which he had filled with shot, powder,
and balls. When it was full to the brim, the princess descended with a
watch and went to the king's daughter: "Either both dead, or both
alive!" When she entered the room, she said: "It is I," took the lock
from her mouth, talked with her, and then concealed herself under the
bed. At midnight the magician came, and the king was on the lookout,
with his watch in his hand. As the clock struck twelve, the princess
fired the mine: boom! and a great noise was heard: the magician
vanished, and the two young girls found themselves free and in each
other's arms. When the king saw them, he exclaimed: "Ah! my daughters!
your misfortune was your good fortune. My crown belongs to you," said he
to the princess whom he had adopted. "No, your Majesty, for I am a
king's daughter, and I, too, have a crown."

This matter spread over the world, and her fame passed through all the
kingdoms, and every one talked of