is good to me. It fetches all the sweets I want and takes me for rides on its back, flying all over the countryside, and I've got even nicer things here than I do at home, where I have to share with my two ugly sisters." She gestured to the pile of dragon treasure upon which her pillows rested. "I imagine my father's promised to let my rescuer marry me, hasn't he? He's old-fashioned that way. Well, I do not choose to be rescued in the name of some fat old prince who's too lazy to come and rescue me himself." She studied the box of candies and selected another morsel. "Sorry," she mumbled, her mouth full.
The wizard tapped his foot impatiently, knowing that if he just flashed on back home, the prince would eventually follow him there and never give him any rest. "Look," he said wearily, "the Prince of Talahandra is not fat or old. He's really very handsome, and quite rich."
The princess looked interested, but still skeptical.
The wizard added, "The prince is also very intelligent and resourceful, and he hired me rather than coming himself so that there would be less danger to you."
"I don't know," the princess said. "I
do
enjoy the flying."
"Besides," the wizard said smoothly, though he was making it up as he went along, "some of the most famous candy makers in the world are in the kingdom of Talahandra. Please," he urged. "The dragon will be back any moment."
Slowly, reluctantly, the princess stood up, putting the box of candy under her arm. "Do you think I'll like this prince?" she asked.
This time, the wizard could answer in all truthfulness. "Believe me, you were made for each other." Then, as she started stuffing diamond-encrusted combs and other trinkets into her pockets, the wizard added, "And I have a fine mirror that will make a perfect engagement present for the two of you."
"Oh, thank you," she said, munching on a caramel.
A week later, the wizard was lying half asleep on a hammock in the backyard of his tower home. The summer was almost half over. A few more weeks and his students would be back for the fall semester. He smiled, thinking that he had missed them, though he would never tell them so.
Something large and heavy dropped onto his chest.
"Hello, old friend," came the familiar and unwelcome voice of his magic mirror. "Getting lazy in your old age, I see."
The wizard opened his eyes and saw Princess Gilbertina standing there, tapping her foot, her arms folded defiantly before her.
"It didn't work out," she said. "The engagement is off, and I want you to take this piece of garbage off my hands."
The wizard had had all the breath knocked out of him, so he couldn't point out that the garbage in question was, in fact, already out of her hands and sitting on his chest.
He eased the heavy mirror to the side, off the edge of the hammock.
"Easy, big fellow," the mirror grumbled.
The wizard found he could breathe again. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked.
"This stupid mirror of yours is a troublemaker."
"
No!
" gasped the wizard, trying to sound surprised.
"It put all sorts of crazy ideas into the head of the Prince of Talahandra. He was supposed to marry me, but all he does is hang around Farmer Seymour's barn, sighing and writing bad poetry
over that milkmaid—who is
not,
I might add, all that great."
"I see," said the wizard.
"After all"—the princess fluffed her hair—"even this stupid mirror acknowledges that I'm the second most beautiful woman in the land, and the Prince of Talahandra is only the eighth most handsome man. The mirror told me so."
"I'm sorry things didn't work out for you and the prince," the wizard said. "But I don't see why you're here."
"I want to go home to my dragon."
"Oh." The wizard looked at her pouting but determined face. "Ahm—"
"And you're going to take me there."
He started to open his mouth to protest, but she began speaking louder and faster and pointed her finger at him. "This is all your fault.
You're
the one who talked me into leaving,
The wizard tapped his foot impatiently, knowing that if he just flashed on back home, the prince would eventually follow him there and never give him any rest. "Look," he said wearily, "the Prince of Talahandra is not fat or old. He's really very handsome, and quite rich."
The princess looked interested, but still skeptical.
The wizard added, "The prince is also very intelligent and resourceful, and he hired me rather than coming himself so that there would be less danger to you."
"I don't know," the princess said. "I
do
enjoy the flying."
"Besides," the wizard said smoothly, though he was making it up as he went along, "some of the most famous candy makers in the world are in the kingdom of Talahandra. Please," he urged. "The dragon will be back any moment."
Slowly, reluctantly, the princess stood up, putting the box of candy under her arm. "Do you think I'll like this prince?" she asked.
This time, the wizard could answer in all truthfulness. "Believe me, you were made for each other." Then, as she started stuffing diamond-encrusted combs and other trinkets into her pockets, the wizard added, "And I have a fine mirror that will make a perfect engagement present for the two of you."
"Oh, thank you," she said, munching on a caramel.
A week later, the wizard was lying half asleep on a hammock in the backyard of his tower home. The summer was almost half over. A few more weeks and his students would be back for the fall semester. He smiled, thinking that he had missed them, though he would never tell them so.
Something large and heavy dropped onto his chest.
"Hello, old friend," came the familiar and unwelcome voice of his magic mirror. "Getting lazy in your old age, I see."
The wizard opened his eyes and saw Princess Gilbertina standing there, tapping her foot, her arms folded defiantly before her.
"It didn't work out," she said. "The engagement is off, and I want you to take this piece of garbage off my hands."
The wizard had had all the breath knocked out of him, so he couldn't point out that the garbage in question was, in fact, already out of her hands and sitting on his chest.
He eased the heavy mirror to the side, off the edge of the hammock.
"Easy, big fellow," the mirror grumbled.
The wizard found he could breathe again. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked.
"This stupid mirror of yours is a troublemaker."
"
No!
" gasped the wizard, trying to sound surprised.
"It put all sorts of crazy ideas into the head of the Prince of Talahandra. He was supposed to marry me, but all he does is hang around Farmer Seymour's barn, sighing and writing bad poetry
over that milkmaid—who is
not,
I might add, all that great."
"I see," said the wizard.
"After all"—the princess fluffed her hair—"even this stupid mirror acknowledges that I'm the second most beautiful woman in the land, and the Prince of Talahandra is only the eighth most handsome man. The mirror told me so."
"I'm sorry things didn't work out for you and the prince," the wizard said. "But I don't see why you're here."
"I want to go home to my dragon."
"Oh." The wizard looked at her pouting but determined face. "Ahm—"
"And you're going to take me there."
He started to open his mouth to protest, but she began speaking louder and faster and pointed her finger at him. "This is all your fault.
You're
the one who talked me into leaving,
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