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 by their mistresses , and wish to have done with life . She places them in a labyrinth where they are condemned to walk for ever , with a bracelet on their arms and a cord round their necks , unless they meet another as miserable as themselves . Then the cord is pulled and they lie where they fall , till they are buried by the first passer by . Terrible as this death would be , ' added the Prince , ` it would be sweeter than life if I had lost your love . ' The sight of all these happy lovers only made the Prince grieve the more , and he wandered along the seashore spending his days ; but one day he was sitting on a rock bewailing his fate , and the impossibility of leaving the island , when all in a moment the sea appeared to raise itself nearly to the skies , and the caves echoed with hideous screams . As he looked a woman rose from the depths of the sea , flying madly before a furious giant . The cries she uttered softened the heart of the Prince ; he took the stone from his mouth , and drawing his sword he rushed after the giant , so as to give the lady time to escape . But hardly had he come within reach of the enemy , than the giant touched him with a ring that he held in his hand , and the Prince remained immovable where he stood . The giant then hastily rejoined his prey , and , seizing her in his arms , he plunged her into the sea .
Then he sent some tritons to bind chains about the XXXXX of the Golden Isle , and he too felt himself borne to the depths of the ocean , and without the hope of ever again seeing the Princess .
Despair Prince Princesses colour day days escape fall mistresses passer