she had heard many marvelous tales, and set out,
taking with her a number of her attendants. On the way they had to pass
near an old castle belonging to the fairies. Nobody had ever been into
it, but it was reported to be full of the most wonderful things, and
my mother remembered to have heard that the fairies had in their garden
such fruits as were to be seen and tasted nowhere else. She began to
wish to try them for herself, and turned her steps in the direction of
the garden. On arriving at the door, which blazed with gold and jewels,
she ordered her servants to knock loudly, but it was useless; it seemed
as if all the inhabitants of the castle must be asleep or dead. Now the
more difficult it became to obtain the fruit, the more the Queen was
determined that have it she would. So she ordered that they should bring
ladders, and get over the wall into the garden; but though the wall did
not look very high, and they tied the ladders together to make them very
long, it was quite impossible to get to the top.

"The Queen was in despair, but as night was coming on she ordered
that they should encamp just where they were, and went to bed herself,
feeling quite ill, she was so disappointed. In the middle of the night
she was suddenly awakened, and saw to her surprise a tiny, ugly old
woman seated by her bedside, who said to her:

"'I must say that we consider it somewhat troublesome of your Majesty to
insist upon tasting our fruit; but to save you annoyance, my sisters
and I will consent to give you as much as you can carry away, on one
condition--that is, that you shall give us your little daughter to bring
up as our own.'

"'Ah! my dear madam,' cried the Queen, 'is there nothing else that you
will take for the fruit? I will give you my kingdoms willingly.'

"'No,' replied the old fairy, 'we will have nothing but your little
daughter. She shall be as happy as the day is long, and we will give her
everything that is worth having in fairy-land, but you must not see her
again until she is married.'

"'Though it is a hard condition,' said the Queen, 'I consent, for I
shall certainly die if I do not taste the fruit, and so I should lose my
little daughter either way.'

"So the old fairy led her into the castle, and, though it was still the
middle of the night, the Queen could see plainly that it was far more
beautiful than she had been told, which you can easily believe, Prince,"
said the White Cat, "when I tell you tha