Prince Moufy, surprised and delighted at this extraordinary termination to his adventure, showered civilities on the newly-found Prince. They hastened to rejoin Moufette, who thanked Heaven a thousand times for her unhoped-for happiness. The King, the Queen, and all the Court, were already with her; everybody spoke at once, nobody listened to anybody else, and they all shednearly as many tears of joy as they had before of grief. Finally, that nothing might be wanting to complete their rejoicing, the good Frog appeared, flying through the air on her hawk, which had little bells of gold on its feet. When the tinkle, tinkle, of these was heard, everyone looked up, and saw the cap of roses shining like the sun, and the Frog as beautiful as the dawn.
The Queen ran towards her, and took her by one of her little paws, and in the same moment, the wise Frog became a great Queen, with a charming countenance. “I come,” she cried, “to crown the faithful Moufette, who preferred to risk her life, rather than be untrue to Prince Moufy.” She thereupon took two myrtle wreaths, and placed them on the heads of the lovers, and giving three taps with her wand, all the Dragon’s bones formed themselves into a triumphal arch, in commemoration of the great event which had just taken place.
They all wended their way back to the town, singing wedding songs, as gaily as they had before mournfully bewailed the sacrifice of the Princess. The marriage took place the following day, and the joy with which it was celebrated may be imagined.
When the Fay had finished all were agreed that her story was not a word too long, and all thanked her as she flew back with daintily fluttering little wings back to her place. All began wondering what the next story would be like. They did not have to wonder long for Titania,turning to King Oberon, said, “I have chosen several stories, you choose now.”
“I think,” said Oberon, “that the Scandinavian Dwarf who told us our first tale about Thor and the wicked Loki could perhaps tell us another.”
As soon as he spoke the Scandinavian Dwarf came forward, well pleased of course at being so honoured, and said, “I will tell your Majesty, then, a further tale of how it was that Thor managed to get the Heroes out of a nasty fix into which they had got themselves with a dwarf who lived in a dark underground place, who had made them promise that he should marry their most beautiful Freya. It is the story,” he began, “of the ambition and undoing of