-- why , she would think him a mere braggart . The prince sat down , and thought and thought ; and the day went on , and it was now high noon . At last he jumped up and rushed into the library , a room where nobody ever went except himself and the queen . There he turned the books upside down , in his haste , till he found an old one , by a French gentleman , Monsieur Cyrano de Bergerac . It was an account of a voyage to the moon , in which there is a great deal of information about matters not generally known ; for few travellers have been to the moon . In that book , Prince Prigio fancied he would find something he half remembered , and that would be of use to him . And he did ! So you see that cleverness , and minding your book , have some advantages , after all . For here the prince learned that there is a very rare beast called a Remora , which is at least as cold as the Firedrake is hot ! `` Now , '' thought he , '' if I can only make these two fight , why the Remora may kill the Firedrake , or take the heat out of him , at least , so that I may have a chance . '' Then he seized the ivory glass , clapped it to his eye , and looked for the Remora . Just the tip of his nose , as white as snow and as smooth as ice , was sticking out of a chink in a frozen mountain , not far from the burning mountain of the Firedrake . -LSB- Illustration : Page 46 -RSB- `` Hooray ! '' said the prince softly to himself ; and he jumped like mad into the winged shoes of swiftness , stuck on the cap of darkness , girdled himself with the sword of sharpness , and put a good slice of bread , with some cold tongue , in a wallet , which he slung on his back . Never you fight , if you can help it , except with plenty of food to keep you going and in good heart . Then off he flew , and soon he reached the volcano of the Firedrake . -LSB- Illustration : Chapter Nine -RSB- CHAPTER IX . -- The Prince and the Firedrake IT was dreadfully hot , even high up in the air , where the prince hung invisible . Great burning stones were tossed up by the volcano , and nearly hit him several times . Moreover , the steam and smoke , and the flames which the Firedrake spouted like foam from his nostrils , would have daunted even the bravest man .
The sides of the hill , too , were covered with the blackened ashes of his victims , whom he had roasted when they came out to XXXXX him .
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