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Craik, Dinah Maria Mulock, 1826-1887

"The Fairy Book The Best Popular Stories Selected and Rendered Anew"

However,
at the sound of his voice, he suffered the prince to mount, and they
soon arrived in the camp of Furibon, where they gave notice that a
lady was come to speak with him from the Princess of Calm Delights.
Immediately the little fellow put on his royal robes, and having
placed himself upon his throne, he looked like a great toad
counterfeiting a king.
Leander harangued him, and told him that the princess, preferring a
quiet and peaceable life to the fatigues of war, had sent to offer his
majesty as much money as he pleased to demand, provided he would
suffer her to continue in peace; but if he refused her proposal, she
would omit no means that might serve for her defence. Furibon replied
that he took pity on her, and would grant her the honour of his
protection; but that he demanded a hundred thousand thousand millions
of pounds, and without which he would not return to his kingdom.
Leander answered that such a vast sum would be too long a-counting,
and therefore, if he would say how many rooms full he desired to have,
the princess was generous and rich enough to satisfy him. Furibon was
astonished to hear that, instead of entreating, she would rather offer
more; and it came into his wicked mind to take all the money he could
get, and then seize the Amazon and kill her, that she might never
return to her mistress. He told Leander, therefore, that he would have
thirty chambers of gold, all full to the ceiling.


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