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An instant later in came Grumedan by the opposite door. His hair stood on end, and he wore a huge bag-purse and a cravat tied in a bow, his mantle was made of a shower of silver coins with a lining of rose colour, and his delight in his own appearance knew no bounds. That any Princess could prefer a cup of poison to himself never for an instant occurred to him.
Grumedan leaning back in his arm-chair, with one knee crossed over the other and his nose in the air, looked on disdainfully.
A gentleman, a neighbour of mine, a great admirer of antiquity, and who was always extolling the excellences of former times in comparison with this present age of ours, did not, amongst the rest, forget to dwell upon the lofty and magnificent sound of the gentleman's names of those days, Don Grumedan, Quedregan, Agesilan, which, but to hear named he conceived to denote other kind of men than Pierre, Guillot, and Michel.
The Fairy finally made Narcissus promise that he would remain invisible when he was with the Princess, since she felt sure that this would make things easier for all of them. Then began a struggle between Grumedan and the Prince, the latter under the name of Melinette, as to which could best delight and divert the Princess and win her approbation.
Don't you know me? 'No, I can't say I do, replied the King, somewhat embarrassed. 'Why, I am Grumedan, the Enchanter, said he, 'and I am come to make your fortune. Let us come in and talk things over a bit. Thereupon he ordered the oxen to go about their business, and they bounded off like stags, and were out of sight in a moment.
This he did, but afterwards wished to kiss the Princess's hand as a reward for having been so obliging; but the Fairy Melinette was not going to allow anything of that kind. She appeared suddenly, in all her splendour, and cried: 'Stay, Grumedan; this Princess is under my protection, and the smallest impertinence will cost you a thousand years of captivity.
Luckily Grumedan did not perceive this, as he was too much occupied in whipping up the frogs, many of whom perished miserably from fatigue, since he did not allow them to rest for a moment.
Presently Grumedan remarked with a grin: 'I have provided neither musicians nor singers; but as you seem fond of music I will sing to you myself. Whereupon he began, with a voice like a screech-owl's, to chant the words of his 'opera, only this time happily not at such a length, and without the frog accompaniment.
Let my example warn you to make a better use of your beauty! And then the little fleet sailed on, until it was lost to view in the windings of the river. Grumedan was also looking on at the spectacle, and said very contemptuously: 'I cannot say I think these marionettes amusing. What a to-do to make over a single pearl! But if you like pearls, madam, why, I will soon gratify you.
Grumedan, thereupon, declared that there was nothing new about that, since the birds had sung since the world began, and all lovers had imagined that they sang for them alone. Therefore he said he would himself write an opera that should be absolutely a novelty and something worth hearing.
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