She flew downstairs and met the King and the dwarf at the door.
The crocodile which was lying across the threshold snapped his horrible teeth at them as they advanced, but, drawing his sword, the King pierced him to the heart, when, to the intense astonishment of the Princess and her rescuers, he at once became a young man.
“How can I thank you?” he exclaimed, embracing the King. “You have liberated me from a frightful prison.”
And he explained to them how the Enchanter, by a touch of his black wand, had transformed him into a crocodile, until he should be released by the sword of a fellow mortal.
“But,” he continued, “he will do the same to you, if he gets near enough to strike you also.”
At this moment the Enchanter, who, during this conversation, had been asleep indoors, came out with the fatal wand in his hand. With a howl of rage, he rushed towards them, but, in so doing, he fell over the carcase of the crocodile and his wand slipped from his fingers. He stretched out his hand to catch it, but Grimaçon was too quick for him, and, seizing the little rod, he broke it into a thousand pieces and scattered them to the four winds of heaven. The King waited until his enemy rose, upon which, drawing his sword, he fell upon him. A deadly combat then ensued, for the cruel monster had a club made of crocodiles’ bones, which he used with great skill and with which he laid about him like a madman.
But, at last, he sank, mortally wounded by the topaz-hilted sword, and expired at the King’s feet. At the same moment a shout of joy was heard, and all the crocodiles appeared in their true shapes, for the Enchanter’s death had set them free from their captivity.
There were upwards of a thousand beautiful youths and maidens, who had, at one time or another, fallen into the stream and been carried down through the cavern into these dark and awful dominions.
