t.

As he was riding along through a forest he suddenly heard the most awful
miawing and shrieking of cats you can imagine. The noise drew nearer,
and nearer, and at last they saw a hundred huge Spanish cats rush
through the trees close to them. They were so closely packed together
that you could easily have covered them with a large cloak, and all
were following the same track. They were closely pursued by two enormous
apes, dressed in purple suits, with the prettiest and best made boots
you ever saw.

The apes were mounted on superb mastiffs, and spurred them on in hot
haste, blowing shrill blasts on little toy trumpets all the time.

The king and his equerry stood still to watch this strange hunt, which
was followed by twenty or more little dwarfs, some mounted on wolves,
and leading relays, and others with cats in leash. The dwarfs were all
dressed in purple silk liveries like the apes.

A moment later a beautiful young woman mounted on a tiger came in sight.
She passed close to the king, riding at full speed, without taking any
notice of him; but he was at once enchanted by her, and his heart was
gone in a moment.

To his great joy he saw that one of the dwarfs had fallen behind the
rest, and at once began to question him.

The dwarf told him that the lady he had just seen was the Princess
Mutinosa, the daughter of the king in whose country they were at that
moment. He added that the princess was very fond of hunting, and that
she was now in pursuit of rabbits.

The king then asked the way to the court, and having been told it,
hurried off, and reached the capital in a couple of hours.

As soon as he arrived, he presented himself to the king and queen, and
on mentioning his own name and that of his country, was received with
open arms. Not long after, the princess returned, and hearing that the
hunt had been very successful, the king complimented her on it, but she
would not answer a word.

Her silence rather surprised him, but he was still more astonished when
he found that she never spoke once all through supper-time. Sometimes
she seemed about to speak, but whenever this was the case her father or
mother at once took up the conversation. However, this silence did not
cool the king's affection, and when he retired to his rooms at night he
confided his feelings to his faithful equerry. But the equerry was by no
means delighted at his king's love affair, and took no pains to hide his
disappointment.

'