As he said this he carefully ran his hand over the insulted part, and, after giving himself up for a few moments to bitter meditation: 

“What idiots those Penguins are!  I am tired of blowing flames in the faces of such imbeciles.  Orberosia, do you hear me?”

Having thus spoken the hero raised his terrible helmet in his hands and gazed at it for a long time in gloomy silence.  Then he pronounced these rapid words: 

“I have made this helmet with my own hands in the shape of a fish’s head, covering it with the skin of a seal.  To make it more terrible I have put on it the horns of a bull and I have given it a boar’s jaws; I have hung from it a horse’s tail dyed vermilion.  When in the gloomy twilight I threw it over my shoulders no inhabitant of this island had courage to withstand its sight.  Women and children, young men and old men fled distracted at its approach, and I carried terror among the whole race of Penguins.  By what advice does that insolent people lose its earlier fears and dare to-day to behold these horrible jaws and to attack this terrible crest?”

And throwing his helmet on the rocky soil: 

“Perish, deceitful helmet!” cried Kraken.  “I swear by all the demons of Armor that I will never bear you upon my head again.”

And having uttered this oath he stamped upon his helmet, his gloves, his boots, and upon his tail with its twisted folds.

“Kraken,” said the fair Orberosia, “will you allow your servant to employ artifice to save your reputation and your goods?  Do not despise a woman’s help.  You need it, for all men are imbeciles.”

“Woman,” asked Kraken, “what are your plans?”

And the fair Orberosia informed her husband that the monks were going through the villages teaching the inhabitants the best way of combating the dragon; that, according to their instructions, the beast would be overcome by a virgin, and that if a maid placed her girdle around the dragon’s neck she could lead him as easily as if he were a little dog.

“How do you know that the monks teach this?” asked Kraken.

“My friend,” answered Orberosia, “do not interrupt a serious subject by frivolous questions. . . .  ‘If, then,’ added the monks, ’there be in Alca a pure virgin, let her arise!’ Now, Kraken, I have determined to answer their call.  I will go and find the holy Mael and I will say to him:  ‘I am the virgin destined by Heaven to overthrow the dragon.’”

At these words Kraken exclaimed:  “How can you be that pure virgin?  And why do you want to overthrow me, Orberosia?  Have you lost your reason?  Be sure that I will not allow myself to be conquered by you!”

“Can you not try and understand me before you get angry?” sighed the fair Orberosia with deep though gentle contempt.

And she explained the cunning designs that she had formed.

As he listened, the hero remained pensive.  And when she ceased speaking: