صفحة 369 من 1116

We were in terrible fear of him but the King's daughter cried at

him, "No welcome to thee and no greeting, O dog!" whereupon he

changed to the form of a lion and said, "O traitress, how is it

thou hast broken the oath we sware that neither should contraire

other!" "O accursed one," answered she, "how could there be a

compact between me and the like of thee?" Then said he, "Take

what thou has brought on thyself;" and the lion opened his jaws

and rushed upon her; but she was too quick for him; and, plucking

a hair from her head, waved it in the air muttering over it the

while; and the hair straightway became a trenchant sword blade,

wherewith she smote the lion and cut him in twain. Then the two

halves flew away in air and the head changed to a scorpion and

the Princess became a huge serpent and set upon the accursed

scorpion, and the two fought, coiling and uncoiling, a stiff

fight for an hour at least.