One was bright and glittering , and drawn by swans and peacocks , while the Fairy who sat in it was beautiful as a sunbeam ; but the other was drawn by bats and ravens , and contained a frightful little Dwarf , who was dressed in a snake 's skin , and wore a great toad upon her head for a hood . The chariots met with a frightful crash in mid-air , and the Princess looked on in breathless anxiety while a furious battle took place between the lovely Fairy with her golden lance , and the hideous little Dwarf and her rusty pike . But very soon it was evident that the Beauty had the best of it , and the Dwarf turned her bats ' heads and flickered away in great confusion , while the Fairy came down to where the Princess stood , and said , smiling , ` You see Princess , I have completely routed that malicious old Carabosse . Will you believe it ! she actually wanted to claim authority over you for ever , because you came out of the tower four days before the twenty years were ended . However , I think I have settled her pretensions , and I hope you will be very happy and enjoy the freedom I have won for you . ' The Princess thanked her heartily , and then the Fairy despatched one of her peacocks to her palace to bring a gorgeous robe for Mayblossom , who certainly needed it , for her own was torn to shreds by the thorns and briars . Another peacock was sent to the Admiral to tell him that he could now land in perfect safety , which he at once did , bringing all his men with him , even to Jack-the-Chatterer , who , happening to pass the spit upon which the Admiral 's dinner was roasting , snatched it up and brought it with him . Admiral Cocked-Hat was immensely surprised when he came upon the golden chariot , and still more so to see two lovely ladies walking under the trees a little farther away . When he reached them , of course he recognised the Princess , and he went down on his knees and kissed her hand quite joyfully . Then she presented him to the Fairy , and told him how Carabosse had been finally routed , and he thanked and congratulated the Fairy , who was most gracious to him . While they were talking she cried suddenly : ' I declare I smell a savoury dinner . ' ` Why yes , Madam , here it is , ' said Jack-the-Chatterer , holding up the spit , where all the pheasants and partridges were frizzling . ` Will your Highness please to taste any of them ? ' ` By all means , ' said the Fairy , ` especially as the Princess will certainly be glad of a good meal . ' So the Admiral sent back to his ship for everything that was needful , and they feasted merrily under the trees . By the time they had finished the peacock had come back with a robe for the Princess , in which the Fairy arrayed her . It was of green and gold brocade , embroidered with pearls and rubies , and her long golden hair was tied back with strings of diamonds and emeralds , and crowned with flowers . The Fairy made her mount beside her in the golden chariot , and took her on board the Admiral 's ship , where she bade her farewell , sending many messages of friendship to the Queen , and bidding the Princess tell her that she was the fifth Fairy who had attended the christening . Then salutes were fired , the fleet weighed anchor , and very soon they reached the port .
Here the King and Queen were waiting , and they received the Princess with such joy and kindness that she could not get a word XXXXX edgewise , to say how sorry she was for having run away with such a very poor spirited Ambassador .
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