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their own shape* He therefore affected to be 

 greatly pleased, gave him his bride, and made a 

 great feast, which was followed by a ball ; but in 

 the midst of it the princess whispered her lover to 

 follow her silently into the garden. Here she told 

 him, that an old Obeah woman, who had been 

 her father's nurse, had warned him, that if his 

 youngest daughter should live to see the day after 

 her wedding, he would lose his power and his life 

 together ; that she, therefore, was sure of his in- 

 tending to destroy both herself and her bridegroom 

 that night in their sleep ; but that, being aware of 

 all these circumstances, she had watched him so 

 narrowly as to get possession of some of his ma- 

 gical secrets, which might possibly enable her to 

 counteract his cruel designs. She then gathered 

 a rose, picked up a pebble, filled a small phial with 

 water from a rivulet ; and thus provided, she and 

 her lover betook themselves to flight upon a couple 

 of the swiftest steeds in her father's stables. It was 

 midnight before the headman missed them : his 

 rage was excessive ; and immediately mounting his 

 great horse, Dandy, he set forwards in pursuit of 

 the lovers. Now Dandy galloped at the rate of 

 ten miles a minute. The princess was soon aware 

 of her pursuer : without loss of time she pulled 

 the rose to pieces, scattered the leaves behind 

 her, and had the satisfaction of seeing them 

 instantly grow up into a wood of briars, so 

 strong and so thickly planted, that Dandy vainly 



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