oasted. Then she went into the empty throne room
and saw the golden thrones side by side upon the dais, and the rich
tapestry, glowing with all the colours of the rainbow, on the walls.
After that she mounted to the battlements from which she could see over
miles and miles of her father's kingdom, and not content with that, she
ran up the staircases into the turrets and looked through their narrow
slits of windows upon the courtyard below, so far down that the people
walking therein seemed no bigger than mice. And then she came down again
and continued her wanderings, searching in all sorts of out-of-the-way
corners, until at last she found herself before the door of the ancient
tower into which she had never been. And as she looked at the door, she
gave a start of surprise and then a cry of joy.

There was a key in the lock.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER VIII

IT was a rusty key, and Briar-Rose was afraid that she might not be able
to turn it, but to her surprise it turned quite easily. The heavy door
swung inward on its ancient hinges with many a creak and groan, and she
found herself in a little dark room thickly carpeted with the dust of
years. From this room a winding staircase led upward, and Briar-Rose was
just about to climb the stair when a sudden noise made her start back in
alarm.

[Illustration]

_Whirr!_ There was a beating of wings, a flurry and a scuffle, and past
her face flew a dark shape, with gleaming, yellow eyes. It was only an
owl who was hiding in the tower out of the sunlight, but he gave poor
Briar-Rose a great fright, and she was in two minds whether to turn back
or not, but the winding staircase looked very inviting and she wanted to
see whither it led, so gathering up her skirts to avoid any creepy
things that might be crawling about, she ran up the stairway as fast as
she could, round and round until she reached the top. There she came
upon another door.

In this door also was a rusty key, and Briar-Rose turned it as easily as
she had turned the first. Then she pushed open the door and entered.

She found herself in a small room lighted by narrow windows. Beneath one
of these windows was a couch, and in front of it sat an old woman with a
spinning-wheel.

"Good-morrow, Motherkin," said the Princess. "What are you doing?"

"I am spinning, my pretty child," answered the old woman without ceasing
her work.

"Spinning?" asked the Princess. "Oh, do let me see! What is that