But Drolette knew her sister perfectly. Her faithful larks held the door of her chariot open and she sprang within. The larks rose in the air, hovered above the toads, and then lowered themselves rapidly upon them. The toads, in spite of their weight, escaped the blows by turning adroitly to one side. They however threw their venom on the larks which were nearest to them, who died instantly. Drolette detached them with the rapidity of a thunder-bolt, rose again in the air and fell so adroitly on the toads, that the larks tore out their eyes with their claws, before Furious had time to come to the rescue of her army. The outcries of the toads and the hissing of the larks made a deafening noise; and the fairy Drolette called out to her friends, who were regarding the combat with terror:-- "Withdraw immediately and stop your ears!" Which was done instantly, in obedience to her command. The fairy Furious made one last effort. She guided her blinded toads in such a way as to meet the larks face to face, and to dart their venom upon them. But Drolette rose higher and higher in the air and Furious found herself always under her sister's chariot. At last, unable to contain her rage, Furious cried out:-- "You are assisted by the queen of the fairies, an old fool whom I should gladly see in the lower regions!" Scarcely had she pronounced these words when her chariot fell heavily to the earth. The toads perished and the chariot disappeared. The fairy Furious only remained, in the form of an enormous toad. She wished to speak but she could only bellow and snuffle. She gazed at Drolette and her larks--at Prince Marvellous, Violette and Agnella, in a transport of rage but her power was destroyed. The fairy Drolette lowered her chariot, descended to the earth and said:-- "The queen of the fairies has punished you for your audacity, sister. Repent, if you wish to obtain pardon." The only answer of Furious was to spit forth her poisonous venom, which happily reached no one. Drolette extended her wand towards her and said: "I command you to disappear and never to appear again to the prince Marvellous, to Violette or to their mother." Drolette had scarcely uttered these words when the toad disappeared; there remained no vestige of the chariot or of herself. Drolette remained some time motionless. She passed her hand over her brow, as if to chase away a sad thought; then approaching Prince Marvellous, she said to him:-- "Prince, the title which I give you indicates your birth. You are the son of King Ferocious and the queen Aimee, concealed till now under the appearance of a modest farmer woman. The name of your father sufficiently indicates his character. Your mother having prevented him from killing his brother Indolent and his sister-in-law Nonchalante, he turned his rage against her. I was her protectress, and carried her off with her faithful Passerose in a cloud.