“But if Nardo still loves me, why does he keep away? Why does he not tell me of his love?” asked the Princess. “He will, my dear Princess, when he remembers,” said the fairy, “and there is where the difficult part comes in. “We must get the ring or the stone. It is only the stone that holds the charm, but that is still on Stephen’s finger, and to get near to him the dragon must be overpowered.” “Oh! I will send all my father’s soldiers,” said the Princess; “they can kill the dragon, I am sure.” “Not a dragon that belongs to a witch,” said the fairy, “and if my plan works, and I think it will, we shall not need soldiers. I will be back before the sun rises. Wait for me.” [Pg 56] [Pg 56] Away went the fairy to her Queen and again asked to be changed into a nightingale. “It is to help some one in trouble, dear Queen,” she said, “and never again will I ask to change my form.” The Queen granted her wish and away flew the nightingale toward the sea, where lived the witch and the dragon. When she was near the cave she began her sweetest song, and as she flew nearer she sang more sweetly and softly until she alighted on a tree right over the rock where lay the dragon and the sleeping Stephen. The eyes of the dragon were wide open, watching on all sides for any one who might dare attempt to rescue Stephen. When he heard the sweet tones of the nightingale the dragon raised its head and looked around, but, seeing only a bird perched over his head, he had no fear. Softly, sweetly, the nightingale trilled and sang its soothing song until at last the dragon began to nod its head, and after a while it dropped to the ground, fast asleep. The poor nightingale was so worn out with singing so long that it hardly had strength to fly down to where Stephen was sleeping. [Pg 57] [Pg 57] Very carefully it did so with only a soft waving of its wings, and then its bill plucked from the ring on Stephen’s hand the red stone, and off it flew with the stone held tightly in its bill.
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