The merchant took me onto his boat and showed me all the fabulous golden wares that he had made for me. I was so dazzled that I did not notice the ship sail until we were on the high seas!

I would rather die than be carried away by a merchant. Yet he seizes my hand and swears that he is not a merchant. “I am a king!” he declares. “And my great love for you caused me to use this strategy to carry you away.”

A king? Is this how a king behaves?

The Princess of the Golden Roof in Trusty John, Blue Fairy Book. Illustration by H.J. Ford.