ng. This was immediately granted, for, to tell the
truth, the King was awaiting his return with considerable anxiety.

"Well," said he, "have you succeeded in finding a way?"

"I have," answered the venerable wizard. "My arts have not failed me!"
And he handed the King a piece of parchment on which were written the
following words. They were written in Latin to make them look more
important, but very likely it was not good Latin, for the venerable
wizard had been apprenticed to his trade at an early age, and in
consequence his classical education had been somewhat neglected. But
this was the meaning of them:

Shall spindle prick?--then spindle burn,
No thread weave and no wheel turn;
If there's no spindle and there's no wheel,
Then no finger the spindle can feel.

The King slapped his thigh for joy. "Why, of course!" said he. "How is
it that I did not myself think of such a simple solution? It seems to
me, Wizard, that you have easily earned your thousand crowns!"

"Ah, Majesty," the wizard made answer, "all things are simple when once
you know them."

And in this he was quite right.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER VI

THE King lost no time in putting the wizard's counsel into effect. The
very next day he caused a proclamation to be written, and ordered copies
of it to be fixed on all the church doors, and in all the public places
of every town in his kingdom. This is the way the proclamation read:

[Illustration:

WHEREAS a certain malicious fairy, forgetful of the
duties she owes to the most high and puissant King
and Queen, rightful sovereigns of these realms, and
to the Princess Briar-Rose, their dearly loved daughter,
has, of malice aforethought, and with intent to work
grievous bodily harm to the person of the said Princess,
in the presence of the said most puissant Sovereigns
and of divers of their loyal subjects made and uttered
a prophecy, to wit: that the said Princess shall in her
fifteenth year prick her finger with the spindle of a
spinning-wheel, and that a certain dire misfortune
shall fall upon her because of that injury, to the sorrow
of her loving parents: NOW BE IT DECREED
That all spinning-wheels or instruments of spinning
whatsoever, in the possession of any subjects of the
King's most excellent Majesty, whether they be
worked by hand or by treadle or by any oth