王子在船里，吓得半死。这条船最后落在一个浓密的森林上面。
　　“我要战胜上帝！”他说。“我既起了这个誓言，我的意志必须实现！”

　　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。他用最坚固的钢制造出闪电来，因为他希望攻破天上的堡垒。他在他的领土里招募了一支强大的军队。当这些军队排列成队形的时候，他们可以铺满许多里地的面积。他们爬上这些船，王子也走进他的那条船，这时上帝送来一群蚊蚋——只是一小群蚊蚋。这些小虫子在王子的周围嗡嗡地叫，刺着他的脸和手。他一生气就抽出剑来，但是他只刺着不可捉摸的空气，刺不着蚊蚋。于是他命令他的部下拿最贵重的帷幔把他包起来，使得蚊蚋刺不着他。他的下人执行了他的命令。不过帷幔里面贴着一只小蚊蚋。它钻进王子的耳朵里，在那里面刺他。它刺得像火烧一样，它的毒穿进他的脑子。他把帷幔从他的身上撕掉，把衣服也撕掉。他在那些粗鲁、野蛮的兵士面前一丝不挂地跳起舞来。这些兵士现在都讥笑着这个疯了的王子——这个想向上帝进攻、而自己却被一个小蚊蚋征服了的王子。