It had been a gallant struggle, but it had ended there had not the neighing of his horse recalled him to himself.
Thereupon he tore himself away, ran up the ladder, down the other side, mounted his horse, and they flew down the steep incline with such speed that though the old serpent had returned with new eyes they cleared his body at a single bound and were off through the mountains in the twinkling of a star, speeding toward the palace of the princess.
When he entered the hall but one suitor had been tested and he lay dead on the floor. There followed him in, however, a horde of would-be lovers, of all stations and degrees, but the strict order of arrival was observed, and he stood next in succession.
As he advanced toward the bewitching being his eyes burned and his pulse throbbed with twice its usual power. He was drawn with such magnetism he could not resist. She was even more comely than any of the charmers he had met in the mountain.
He was within ten paces of her and she was looking at him yearningly, when there suddenly appeared between them the ten maids, who asked of her:
The princess queen was undecided, glancing slowly from one to the other. Then she was bewildered, and at last cried:
“I cannot tell, for you are all so lovely it is impossible for any mortal to say.”
Thereupon they clapped their hands and vanished.
Then he stepped forward and folded her in his arms. Their lips met not once or twice, but many, many times. The crowd had expected him to fall dead, and it now roared with rage, for it had not observed the maids and knew not what had really happened, and each had considered that had it been himself that had pressed her lips he should not have died.
So my forefather became the king of the realm and ruled so well and amiably he was beloved by all his subjects, but most of all by the ten fairies, for they were nothing less, who lived on the mountain top and to whom each year he gave a great feast.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_Being a continuation still further into the Third Document and giving a careful account of a most marvelous sailing trip in Item Fifth of said Document._
MY one-great-grandfather was a renowned sailor, of such repute his name was known in all the countries of the earth. It may not be amiss to relate the occurrences of a single voyage made by him, the like of which has not been met with since nor had been met with before.