Asourherohadthemagicstoneinhismouththeyimaginedthemselvesalone，anddidnotlowertheirvoices。
’What！’saidone，’areyoualwaysgoingtoallowyourselftobetormentedbyapassionwhichcanneverendhappily，andinyourwholekingdomcanyoufindnothingelsetosatisfyyou？’
’Whatistheuse，’repliedtheother，’ofbeingPrinceoftheGnomes，andhavingamotherwhoisqueenoverallthefourelements，ifIcannotwintheloveofthePrincessArgentine？
FromthemomentthatIfirstsawher，sittingintheforestsurroundedbyflowers，Ihaveneverceasedtothinkofhernightandday，and，althoughIloveher，Iamquiteconvincedthatshewillnevercareforme。YouknowthatIhaveinmypalacethecabinetsoftheyears。Inthefirst，greatmirrorsreflectthepast；inthesecond，wecontemplatethepresent；inthethird，thefuturecanberead。ItwasherethatIfledafterIhadgazedonthePrincessArgentine，butinsteadofloveIonlysawscornandcontempt。Thinkhowgreatmustbemydevotion，when，inspiteofmyfate，Istillloveon！’
NowthePrinceoftheGoldenIslewasenchantedwiththisconversation，forthePrincessArgentinewashissister，andhehoped，bymeansofherinfluenceoverthePrinceoftheGnomes，toobtainfromhisbrotherthereleaseofRosalie。Sohejoyfullyreturnedtohisfather’spalace，wherehefoundhisfriendtheFairy，whoatoncepresentedhimwithamagicpebblelikehisown。Asmaybeimagined，helostnotimeinsettingouttodeliverRosalie，andtravelledsofastthathesoonarrivedattheforest，inthemidstofwhichshelayacaptive。ButthoughhefoundthepalacehedidnotfindRosalie。Hehuntedhighandlow，buttherewasnosignofher，andhisdespairwassogreatthathewasready，athousandtimesover，totakehisownlife。
AtlastherememberedtheconversationofthetwoPrincesaboutthecabinetsoftheyears，andthatifhecouldmanagetoreachtheoaktree，hewouldbecertaintodiscoverwhathadbecomeofRosalie。Happily，hesoonfoundoutthesecretofthepassageandenteredthecabinetofthepresent，wherehesawreflectedinthemirrorstheunfortunateRosaliesittingonthefloorweepingbitterly，andsurroundedwithgenii，whoneverlefthernightorday。
ThissightonlyincreasedthemiseryofthePrince，forhedidnotknowwherethecastlewas，norhowtosetaboutfindingit。
However，heresolvedtoseekthewholeworldthroughtillhecametotherightplace。Hebeganbysettingsailinafavourablewind，buthisbadluckfollowedhimevenonthesea。Hehadscarcelylostsightofthelandwhenaviolentstormarose，andafterseveralhoursofbeatingabout，thevesselwasdrivenontosomerocks，onwhichitdasheditselftobits。ThePrincewasfortunateenoughtobeabletolayholdofafloatingspar，andcontrivedtokeephimselfafloat；and，afteralongstrugglewiththewindsandwaves，hewascastuponastrangeisland。Butwhatwashissurprise，onreachingtheshore，tohearsoundsofthemostheartrendingdistress，mingledwiththesweetestsongswhichhadevercharmedhim！Hiscuriositywasinstantlyroused，andheadvancedcautiouslytillhesawtwohugedragonsguardingthegateofawood。Theywereterribleindeedtolookupon。Theirbodieswerecoveredwithglitteringscales；theircurlytailsextendedfarovertheland；flamesdartedfromtheirmouthsandnoses，andtheireyeswouldhavemadethebravestshudder；butasthePrincewasinvisibleandtheydidnotseehim，heslippedpastthemintothewood。Hefoundhimselfatonceinalabyrinth，andwanderedaboutforalongtimewithoutmeetinganyone；infact，theonlysighthesawwasacircleofhumanhands，stickingoutofthegroundabovethewrist，eachwithabraceletofgold，onwhichanamewaswritten。Thefartherheadvancedinthelabyrinththemorecurioushebecame，tillhewasstoppedbytwocorpseslyinginthemidstofacypressalley，eachwithascarletcordroundhisneckandabraceletonhisarmonwhichwereengravedtheirownnames，andthoseoftwoPrincesses。
TheinvisiblePrincerecognisedthesedeadmenasKingsoftwolargeislandsnearhisownhome，butthenamesofthePrincesseswereunknowntohim。Hegrievedfortheirunhappyfate，andatonceproceededtoburythem；butnosoonerhadhelaidthemintheirgraves，thantheirhandsstartedupthroughtheearthandremainedstickinguplikethoseoftheirfellows。
ThePrincewentonhisway，thinkingaboutthisstrangeadventure，whensuddenlyattheturnofthewalkheperceivedatallmanwhosefacewasthepictureofmisery，holdinginhishandsasilkencordoftheexactcolourofthoseroundthenecksofthedeadmen。Afewstepsfurtherthismancameupwithanotherasmiserabletothefullashehimself；theysilentlyembraced，andthenwithoutawordpassedthecordsroundtheirthroats，andfelldeadsidebyside。InvainthePrincerushedtotheirassistanceandstrovetoundothecord。Hecouldnotloosenit；soheburiedthemliketheothersandcontinuedhispath。
Hefelt，however，thatgreatprudencewasnecessary，orhehimselfmightbecomethevictimofsomeenchantment；andhewasthankfultoslippastthedragons，andenterabeautifulpark，withclearstreamsandsweetflowers，andacrowdofmenandmaidens。Buthecouldnotforgettheterriblethingshehadseen，andhopedeagerlyforacluetothemystery。Noticingtwoyoungpeopletalkingtogether，hedrewnearthinkingthathemightgetsomeexplanationofwhatpuzzledhim。Andsohedid。
’Youswear，’saidthePrince，’thatyouwilllovemetillyoudie，butIfearyourfaithlessheart，andIfeelthatIshallsoonhavetoseektheFairyDespair，rulerofhalfthisisland。
Shecarriesofftheloverswhohavebeencastawaybytheirmistresses，andwishtohavedonewithlife。Sheplacestheminalabyrinthwheretheyarecondemnedtowalkforever，withabraceletontheirarmsandacordroundtheirnecks，unlesstheymeetanotherasmiserableasthemselves。Thenthecordispulledandtheyliewheretheyfall，tilltheyareburiedbythefirstpasserby。Terribleasthisdeathwouldbe，’addedthePrince，’itwouldbesweeterthanlifeifIhadlostyourlove。’
ThesightofallthesehappyloversonlymadethePrincegrievethemore，andhewanderedalongtheseashorespendinghisdays；
butonedayhewassittingonarockbewailinghisfate，andtheimpossibilityofleavingtheisland，whenallinamomenttheseaappearedtoraiseitselfnearlytotheskies，andthecavesechoedwithhideousscreams。Ashelookedawomanrosefromthedepthsofthesea，flyingmadlybeforeafuriousgiant。ThecriessheutteredsoftenedtheheartofthePrince；hetookthestonefromhismouth，anddrawinghisswordherushedafterthegiant，soastogivetheladytimetoescape。Buthardlyhadhecomewithinreachoftheenemy，thanthegianttouchedhimwitharingthatheheldinhishand，andthePrinceremainedimmovablewherehestood。Thegiantthenhastilyrejoinedhisprey，and，seizingherinhisarms，heplungedherintothesea。ThenhesentsometritonstobindchainsaboutthePrinceoftheGoldenIsle，andhetoofelthimselfbornetothedepthsoftheocean，andwithoutthehopeofeveragainseeingthePrincess。
NowthegiantwhomtheinvisiblehadsorashlyattackedwastheLordoftheSea，andthethirdsonoftheQueenoftheElements，andhehadtouchedtheyouthwithamagicringwhichenabledamortaltoliveunderwater。SothePrinceoftheGoldenIslefound，whenboundinchainsbythetritons，hewascarriedthroughthehomesofstrangemonstersandpastimmenseseaweedforests，tillhereachedavastsandyspace，surroundedbyhugerocks。Onthetallestoftherockssatthegiantasonathrone。
’Rashmortal，’saidhe，whenthePrincewasdraggedbeforehim，’youhavedeserveddeath，butyoushallliveonlytosuffermorecruelly。Go，andaddtothenumberofthosewhomitismypleasuretotorture。’
AtthesewordstheunhappyPrincefoundhimselftiedtoarock；
buthewasnotaloneinhismisfortunes，forallroundhimwerechainedPrincesandPrincesses，whomthegianthadledcaptive。
Indeed，itwashischiefdelighttocreateastorm，inordertoaddtothelistofhisprisoners。
Ashishandswerefastened，itwasimpossibleforthePrinceoftheGoldenIsletomakeuseofhismagicstone，andhepassedhisnightsanddaysdreamingofRosalie。Butatlastthetimecamewhenthegianttookitintohisheadtoamusehimselfbyarrangingfightsbetweensomeofhiscaptives。Lotsweredrawn，andonefelluponourPrince，whosechainswereimmediatelyloosened。Themomenthewassetfree，hesnatcheduphisstone，andbecameinvisible。
TheastonishmentofthegiantatthesuddendisappearanceofthePrincemaywellbeimagined。Heorderedallthepassagestobewatched，butitwastoolate，forthePrincehadalreadyglidedbetweentworocks。Hewanderedforalongwhilethroughtheforests，wherehemetnothingbutfearfulmonsters；heclimbedrockafterrock，steeredhiswayfromtreetotree，tillatlengthhearrivedattheedgeofthesea，atthefootofamountainthatherememberedtohaveseeninthecabinetofthepresent，whereRosaliewasheldcaptive。
Filledwithjoy，hemadehiswaytothetopofthemountainwhichpiercedtheclouds，andtherehefoundapalace。Heentered，andinthemiddleofalonggalleryhediscoveredacrystalroom，inthemidstofwhichsatRosalie，guardednightanddaybygenii。
Therewasnodooranywhere，noranywindow。AtthissightthePrincebecamemorepuzzledthanever，forhedidnotknowhowhewastowarnRosalieofhisreturn。Yetitbrokehishearttoseeherweepingfromdawntilldark。
Oneday，asRosaliewaswalkingupanddownherroom，shewassurprisedtoseethatthecrystalwhichservedforawallhadgrowncloudy，asifsomeonehadbreathedonit，and，whatwasmore，wherevershemovedthebrightnessofthecrystalalwaysbecameclouded。ThiswasenoughtocausethePrincesstosuspectthatherloverhadreturned。InordertosetthePrinceoftheAir’smindatrestshebeganbybeingverygracioustohim，sothatwhenshebeggedthathercaptivitymightbealittlelightenedsheshouldnotberefused。Atfirsttheonlyfavoursheaskedwastobeallowedtowalkforonehoureverydayupanddownthelonggallery。Thiswasgranted，andtheInvisiblePrincespeedilytooktheopportunityofhandingherthestone，whichsheatonceslippedintohermouth。Nowordscanpaintthefuryofhercaptoratherdisappearance。Heorderedthespiritsoftheairtoflythroughallspace，andtobringbackRosaliewherevershemightbe。Theyinstantlyflewofftoobeyhiscommands，andspreadthemselvesoverthewholeearth。
