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Unfortunately, the grandmother was very old; she had
but one Íront tooth left, her head shook with age, and her
eyes were dim. Every morning she found it harder to rise
than the day before. Feeling that she had but a few days
longer to live, at night, before Graceful wrapped himself
in his blanket and lay down on the ground to sleep, she
always gave him good counsels for him to follow when she
was gone; she told him what fishermen to avoid, and how,
by being good and industrious, prudent and resolute, he
would make his way in the world and finally have a boat
and nets of his own. The poor boy paid little heed to all
this wisdom. As soon as his grandmother began to put
on a grave air he threw his arms around her neck and cried:
“Grandmamma, grandmamma, don’t leave me. I have
hands, I am strong, I shall soon be able to work for us both;
but if you were not here at night when I came home from
fishing, what would become of me?”
“My child,” said the old woman one day to him, "I shall
not leave you so much alone as you think; when I am gone
you will have two powerful protectors whom more than
one prince might envy you. A long time ago | did a favor to
two great ladies, who will not forget you when the time
comes to call them, which will be very soon.”
‘“Who are these two ladies? ? asked Graceful, who had
never seen any women but fishermen’s wives in the hut.
“They are two fairies,” replied his grandmother—* two
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