The Prince followed her advice, and sheathing his sword he rapidly ran along the bank, followed by some of the Amazons who had succeeded in getting the water out of their eyes and mouths.

“Run from women!” contemptuously remarked the Absolute Fool.  “If you had not interfered with me,” he said to the Gryphoness, “I should soon have put an end to such a coward.”

The Prince had nearly reached the place opposite to which the ship was moored, when the Princess, who had been awakened by the noise of the combat, appeared upon the deck of the vessel.  The moment she saw the Prince, she felt convinced that he was certainly the one for whom she was looking.  Fearing that the pursuing Amazons might kill him, she sprang from the vessel to his assistance; but her foot caught in a rope, and instead of reaching the shore, she fell into the water, which was here quite deep, and immediately sank out of sight.  The Prince, who had noticed her just as she sprang, and who felt equally convinced that she was the one for whom he was searching, stopped his flight and rushed to the edge of the bank.  Just as the Princess rose to the surface, he reached out his hand to her, and she took it.

“Philopena!” cried the Prince.

“You have won,” said the Princess, gayly shaking the water from her curls, as he drew her ashore.

At the request of the Princess, the pursuing Amazons forbore to assail the Prince, and when the Captain and the Mate had descended from the tree, every thing was explained.

Within an hour, the Prince and Princess, after taking kind leave of the Gryphoness, and Water Sprite, and of the Amazon sailors, who cheered them loudly, rode away to the city of the Princess; while the three servants of the Inquisitive Dwarf returned to their master to report what had happened.

The Absolute Fool was in a very bad humor; for he was obliged to go back on foot, having left his horse in the kingdom where he had so narrowly escaped being killed; and, besides this, he had had his hair pulled; and had not been treated with proper respect by either the Princess or the Gryphoness.  He felt himself deeply injured.  When he reached home, he determined that he would not remain in a position where his great abilities were so little appreciated.  “I will do something,” he said, “which shall prove to the world that I deserve to stand among the truly great.  I will reform my fellow beings, and I will begin by reforming the Inquisitive Dwarf.”  Thereupon he went to his master, and said: 

“Sir, it is foolish and absurd for you to be meddling thus with the affairs of your neighbors.  Give up your inquisitive habits, and learn some useful business.  While you are doing this, I will consent to manage your affairs.”

The Inquisitive Dwarf turned to him, and said:  “I have a great desire to know the exact appearance of the North Pole.  Go and discover it for me.”

The Absolute Fool departed on this mission, and has not yet returned.