a tower, elegantly furnished,
but to which there was no door, so that whoever approached was obliged
to come by the windows, which were a great height from the ground:
from these I had the liberty of getting out into a delightful garden,
in which were baths, and every sort of cooling fruit. In this place
was I educated by the fairies, who behaved to me with the greatest
kindness; my clothes were splendid, and I was instructed in every kind
of accomplishment; in short, prince, if I had never seen anyone but
themselves, I should have remained very happy. One day, however, as I
was talking at the window with my parrot, I perceived a young
gentleman who was listening to our conversation. As I had never seen a
man but in pictures, I was not sorry for the opportunity of gratifying
my curiosity. I thought him a very pleasing object, and he at length
bowed in the most respectful manner, without daring to speak, for he
knew that I was in the palace of the fairies. When it began to grow
dark, he went away, and I vainly endeavoured to see which road he
took. The next morning, as soon as it was light, I again placed myself
at the window, and had the pleasure of seeing that the gentleman had
returned to the same place. He now spoke to me through a
speaking-trumpet, and informed me he thought me a most charming lady,
and that he should be very unhappy if he did not pass his life in my
company.

"I resolved to find some means of escaping from my tower, and was not
long in devising the means for the execution of my project: I begged
the fairies to bring me a netting-needle, a mesh, and some cord,
saying I wished to make some nets to amuse myself with catching birds
at my window. This they readily complied with, and in a short time I
completed a ladder long enough to reach to the ground. I now sent my
parrot to the prince, to beg he would come to the usual place, as I
wished to speak with him. He did not fail; and finding the ladder,
mounted it, and quickly entered my tower. This at first alarmed me,
but the charms of his conversation had restored me to tranquillity,
when all at once the window opened, and the Fairy Violent, mounted on
the dragon's back, rushed into the tower. My beloved prince thought of
nothing but how to defend me from their fury; for I had had time to
relate to him my story, previous to this cruel interruption; but their
numbers overpowered him, and the Fairy Violent had the barbarity to
command the dragon to devo