王子在船里，嚇得半死。這條船最后落在一個濃密的森林上面。
　　“我要戰(zhàn)勝上帝！”他說。“我既起了這個誓言，我的意志必須實現(xiàn)！”

　　And he spent seven years in the construction of wonderful ships to sail through the air, and had darts cast from the hardest steel to break the walls of heaven with. He gathered warriors from all countries, so many that when they were placed side by side they covered the space of several miles. They entered the ships and the prince was approaching his own, when God sent a swarm of gnats—one swarm of little gnats. They buzzed round the prince and stung his face and hands; angrily he drew his sword and brandished it, but he only touched the air and did not hit the gnats. Then he ordered his servants to bring costly coverings and wrap him in them, that the gnats might no longer be able to reach him. The servants carried out his orders, but one single gnat had placed itself inside one of the coverings, crept into the prince's ear and stung him. The place burnt like fire, and the poison entered into his blood. Mad with pain, he tore off the coverings and his clothes too, flinging them far away, and danced about before the eyes of his ferocious soldiers, who now mocked at him, the mad prince, who wished to make war with God, and was overcome by a single little gnat.
　　
　　他花了七年工夫制造出一些能在空中航行的、精巧的船。他用最堅固的鋼制造出閃電來，因為他希望攻破天上的堡壘。他在他的領土里招募了一支強大的軍隊。當這些軍隊排列成隊形的時候，他們可以鋪滿許多里地的面積。他們爬上這些船，王子也走進他的那條船，這時上帝送來一群蚊蚋——只是一小群蚊蚋。這些小蟲子在王子的周圍嗡嗡地叫，刺著他的臉和手。他一生氣就抽出劍來，但是他只刺著不可捉摸的空氣，刺不著蚊蚋。于是他命令他的部下拿最貴重的帷幔把他包起來，使得蚊蚋刺不著他。他的下人執(zhí)行了他的命令。不過帷幔里面貼著一只小蚊蚋。它鉆進王子的耳朵里，在那里面刺他。它刺得像火燒一樣，它的毒穿進他的腦子。他把帷幔從他的身上撕掉，把衣服也撕掉。他在那些粗魯、野蠻的兵士面前一絲不掛地跳起舞來。這些兵士現(xiàn)在都譏笑著這個瘋了的王子——這個想向上帝進攻、而自己卻被一個小蚊蚋征服了的王子。