The King of the Gold Mines hardly knew what answer to make to this proposal . Not because he did not wish very much to escape , but he was afraid that this might be only another device by which the Fairy of the Desert was trying to deceive him . As he hesitated the Mermaid , who guessed his thoughts , said to him : `` You may trust me : I am not trying to entrap you . I am so angry with the Yellow Dwarf and the Fairy of the Desert that I am not likely to wish to help them , especially since I constantly see your poor Princess , whose beauty and goodness make me pity her so much ; and I tell you that if you will have confidence in me I will help you to escape . '' `` I trust you absolutely , '' cried the King , `` and I will do whatever you tell me ; but if you have seen my Princess I beg of you to tell me how she is and what is happening to her . `` We must not waste time in talking , '' said she . `` Come with me and I will carry you to the Castle of Steel , and we will leave upon this shore a figure so like you that even the Fairy herself will be deceived by it . '' So saying , she quickly collected a bundle of sea-weed , and , blowing it three times , she said : `` My friendly sea-weeds , I order you to stay here stretched upon the sand until the Fairy of the Desert comes to take you away . '' And at once the sea-weeds became like the King , who stood looking at them in great astonishment , for they were even dressed in a coat like his , but they lay there pale and still as the King himself might have lain if one of the great waves had overtaken him and thrown him senseless upon the shore . And then the Mermaid caught up the King , and away they swam joyfully together . `` Now , '' said she , `` I have time to tell you about the Princess . In spite of the blow which the Fairy of the Desert gave her , the Yellow Dwarf compelled her to mount behind him upon his terrible Spanish cat ; but she soon fainted away with pain and terror , and did not recover till they were within the walls of his frightful Castle of Steel . Here she was received by the prettiest girls it was possible to find , who had been carried there by the Yellow Dwarf , who hastened to wait upon her and showed her every possible attention . She was laid upon a couch covered with cloth of gold , embroidered with pearls as big as nuts . '' `` Ah ! '' interrupted the King of the Gold Mines , `` if Bellissima forgets me , and consents to marry him , I shall break my heart . '' `` You need not be afraid of that , '' answered the Mermaid , `` the Princess thinks of no one but you , and the frightful Dwarf can not persuade her to look at him . '' `` Pray go on with your story , '' said the King . `` What more is there to tell you ? '' replied the Mermaid .
`` Bellissima was sitting in the wood when you passed , and saw you with the Fairy of the Desert , who was so cleverly disguised that the Princess took her XXXXX be prettier than herself ; you may imagine her despair , for she thought that you had fallen in love with her . ''
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