shouted the prince ; for he knew that if the Remora won , it would be too cold for him to draw near the place , and cut off the Firedrake 's head and tail . `` Go it , Drake ! he 's slackening ! '' cried the prince again ; and the brave Firedrake made one last furious effort , and rising on his wings , dropped just on the spine of his enemy . The wounded Remora curled back his head again on himself , and again crawled , steaming terribly , towards his enemy . But the struggle was too much for the gallant Remora . The flat , cruel head moved slower ; the steam from his thousand wounds grew fiercer ; and he gently breathed his last just as the Firedrake , too , fell over and lay exhausted . With one final roar , like the breath of a thousand furnaces , the Firedrake expired . -LSB- Illustration : Page 58 -RSB- The prince , watching from the hill-top , could scarcely believe that these two awful scourges of Nature , which had so long devastated his country , were actually dead . But when he had looked on for half-an-hour , and only a river ran where the Remora had been , while the body of the Firedrake lay stark and cold , he hurried to the spot . Drawing the sword of sharpness , he hacked off , at two blows , the iron head and the tail of the Firedrake . They were a weary weight to carry ; but in a few strides of the shoes of swiftness he was at his castle , where he threw down his burden , and nearly fainted with excitement and fatigue . But the castle clock struck half-past seven ; dinner was at eight , and the poor prince crawled on hands and knees to the garret . Here he put on the wishing-cap ; wished for a pint of champagne , a hot bath , and his best black velvet and diamond suit . In a moment these were provided ; he bathed , dressed , drank a glass of wine , packed up the head and tail of the Firedrake ; sat down on the flying carpet , and knocked at the door of the English Ambassador as the clocks were striking eight ' in Gluckstein . Punctuality is the politeness of princes ; and a prince is polite when he is in love ! The prince was received at the door by a stout porter and led into the hall , where several butlers met him , and he laid the mortal remains of the Firedrake under the cover of the flying carpet . Then he was led upstairs , and he made his bow to the pretty lady , who , of course , made him a magnificent courtesy . She seemed prettier and kinder than ever . The prince was so happy , that he never noticed how something went wrong about the dinner .
The ambassador looked about , and seemed to miss someone , and spoke XXXXX a low voice to one of the servants , who answered also in a low voice , and what he said seemed to displease the ambassador .
about at from in of on than that to towards