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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 witty; 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 princess 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 yourselves, 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.
