The Prince, who was plainly visible only a short distance ahead, was so pleasantly employed that he had not noticed the approach of the ship.  He was sitting upon a low, moss-covered rock, close to the water’s edge; and with a small hand-net, which he had found on the shore, he was scooping the most beautiful fishes from the lake, holding them up in the sunlight to admire their brilliant colors and graceful forms, and then returning them uninjured to the water.  The Water Sprite was swimming near him, and calling to the fish to come up and be caught; for the gentle Prince would not hurt them.  It was very delightful and rare sport, and it is not surprising that it entirely engrossed the attention of the Prince.  The Amazons silently landed, and softly stole along the shore, a little back from the water.  Then, at their Captain’s command, they rushed upon the Prince.

It was just about this time that the Gryphoness, who had been searching for the Prince, caught her first sight of him.  Perceiving that he was about to be attacked, she rushed to his aid.  The Amazon sailors reached him before she did, and seizing upon him they began to pull him away.  The Prince resisted stoutly; but seeing that his assailants were women, he would not draw his sword.  The Amazon Captain and mate, who were armed with broad knives, now raised their weapons, and called upon the Prince to surrender or die.  But at this moment, the Gryphoness reached the spot, and catching the Captain and mate, each by an arm, she dragged them back from the Prince.  The other Amazons, however, continued the combat; and the Prince defended himself by pushing them into the shallow water, where the Water Sprite nearly stifled them by throwing over them showers of spray.  And now came riding up the Absolute Fool.  Seeing a youth engaged in combat with the Amazon sailors, his blood boiled with indignation.

“A man fighting women!” he exclaimed.  “What a coward!  My arm shall ever assist the weaker sex.”

Jumping from the horse, he drew his sword, and rushed upon the Prince.  The Gryphoness saw the danger of the latter, and she would have gone to his assistance, but she was afraid to loosen her hold of the Amazon Captain and mate.

Spreading her wings she flew to the top of a tree where she deposited the two warlike women upon a lofty branch, from which she knew it would take them a long time to get down to the ground.  When she descended she found that the Absolute Fool had reached the Prince.  The latter, being a brave fellow, although of so gentle a disposition, had been glad to find a man among his assailants, and had drawn his sword to defend himself.  The two had just begun to fight when the Gryphoness seized the Absolute Fool by the waist and hurled him backward into some bushes.

“You must not fight him!” she cried to the Prince.  “He is beneath your rank!  And as you will not draw your sword against these Amazons you must fly from them.  If you run fast they cannot overtake you.”