He began by setting sail in a favourable wind , but his bad luck followed him even on the sea . He had scarcely lost sight of the land when a violent storm arose , and after several hours of beating about , the vessel was driven on to some rocks , on which it dashed itself to bits . The Prince was fortunate enough to be able to lay hold of a floating spar , and contrived to keep himself afloat ; and , after a long struggle with the winds and waves , he was cast upon a strange island . But what was his surprise , on reaching the shore , to hear sounds of the most heartrending distress , mingled with the sweetest songs which had ever charmed him ! His curiosity was instantly roused , and he advanced cautiously till he saw two huge dragons guarding the gate of a wood . They were terrible indeed to look upon . Their bodies were covered with glittering scales ; their curly tails extended far over the land ; flames darted from their mouths and noses , and their eyes would have made the bravest shudder ; but as the Prince was invisible and they did not see him , he slipped past them into the wood . He found himself at once in a labyrinth , and wandered about for a long time without meeting anyone ; in fact , the only sight he saw was a circle of human hands , sticking out of the ground above the wrist , each with a bracelet of gold , on which a name was written . The farther he advanced in the labyrinth the more curious he became , till he was stopped by two corpses lying in the midst of a cypress alley , each with a scarlet cord round his neck and a bracelet on his arm on which were engraved their own names , and those of two Princesses . The invisible Prince recognised these dead men as Kings of two large islands near his own home , but the names of the Princesses were unknown to him . He grieved for their unhappy fate , and at once proceeded to bury them ; but no sooner had he laid them in their graves , than their hands started up through the earth and remained sticking up like those of their fellows . The Prince went on his way , thinking about this strange adventure , when suddenly at the turn of the walk he perceived a tall man whose face was the picture of misery , holding in his hands a silken cord of the exact colour of those round the necks of the dead men . A few steps further this man came up with another as miserable to the full as he himself ; they silently embraced , and then without a word passed the cords round their throats , and fell dead side by side . In vain the Prince rushed to their assistance and strove to undo the cord . He could not loosen it ; so he buried them like the others and continued his path . He felt , however , that great prudence was necessary , or he himself might become the victim of some enchantment ; and he was thankful to slip past the dragons , and enter a beautiful park , with clear streams and sweet flowers , and a crowd of men and maidens . But he could not forget the terrible things he had seen , and hoped eagerly for a clue to the mystery . Noticing two young people talking together , he drew near thinking that he might get some explanation of what puzzled him . And so he did . ` You swear , ' said the Prince , ` that you will love me till you die , but I fear your faithless heart , and I feel that I shall soon have to seek the Fairy Despair , ruler of half this island .
She carries off the lovers who have been cast away XXXXX their mistresses , and wish to have done with life .
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