Stranica 5 [5]
The old fairy, seeing that her cover was not so handsome
as those of the other fairies, muttered that she would be
revenged. A young fairy, who sat near her, and heard her,
resolved to prevent, as far as she could, the harm intended
by the old fairy. The fairies now began to bestow their
gifts on the infant princess ; the first said-that she should
be most beautiful ; the second, that she should be very wit¬
ty; the third, that she should have enchanting grace ; the
fourth, that she should dance delightfully ; the fifth, that
she should sing like a nightingale ; and the sixth, that she
should excel in playing on every musical instrument.
The old fairy now stepped forward and said, "The prin¬
cess shall pierce her hand with a spindle, and die of the
wound.” The young fairy, who had concealed herself till
just now, stepped forward and said, ‘ Do not afflict your¬
selves, O king and queen, the princess shall not die of her
wound ; she shall only sleep for a hundred years, at the
end of which time she shall be awakened by an amiable
young prince.” ;
. The king, anxious to prevent the injury to his daughter,
caused it to be proclaimed that no person should hereafter
use a spindle. | ~ ai
As the princess grew up, all the graces bestowed upon
her began to show themselves, and she became more and .
more engaging. One day, she went into an apartment in
a remote part of the palace, in which an old woman was
spinning with a spindle. The princess, never having seen
one before, took the spindle, and the end of it pierced her
hand ; when she instantly fell into a profound sleep.
The old woman was greatly frightened, and called for
assistance ; her cries speedily brought the king and queen,
who had the princess removed to her own apartment, and
laid ona couch. The kind fairy who had saved her from
death, now appeared, and waving her wand, caused every
person in the palace to fall asleep, so that they might awake
with the princess, and be ready to attend her, when her
long sleep was over.