r, thinking of us, when
immediately we shall be present in your chamber."

The queen, transported with joy, embraced all the fairies, spent the
day with them, and returned, laden with presents, to the fountain
side; where the little old woman jumped into the water, became a
cray-fish again, and disappeared.

In due time the Princess Desiree was born, and the queen did as she
was told in naming the flowers. Soon, all the six fairies appeared, in
different chariots; of ebony, drawn by white pigeons--of ivory, drawn
by black crows, and so on, in great variety. They entered the royal
chamber with an air at once cheerful and majestic, embraced the queen
and the little princess, and spread out all their presents. These
were, linen, so fine that none but fairy hands could have spun it;
lace and embroidery without end; and a cradle, the wonder of the
world. It was made of wood more precious than gold, and at each corner
stood four animated images, little cupids, who, as soon as the baby
cried, began to rock it of their own accord. Then the six fairies
kissed and dandled the princess, bestowing on her for her portion
beauty, good temper, good health, talents, long life, and the faculty
of doing thoroughly well everything she tried to do. The queen,
overcome with gratitude, was thanking them with all her heart for
their kindness to her little daughter, when she saw enter her chamber
a cray-fish, so large that it could hardly pass through the door.

"Ungrateful queen," said the crab, "have you forgotten the fairy of
the fountain? You sent for these my sisters, and not for me, who am
the one to whom you owed most of all."

The queen made a hundred apologies, and the six fairies tried vainly
to pacify the other one; but she was determined, as she said, to
punish ingratitude. "However," added she, "I will give no worse gift
to the princess than to warn you, that if you let her see daylight
before she is fifteen years old, you will repent it." So saying, she
retired backwards, crab-fashion, resisting all entreaties to resume
her proper form and join in the festivities.

The afflicted mother took council with the six fairies how she was to
save her baby from this impending evil, and after many conflicting
opinions they advised her to build a tower without doors or windows,
and with a subterranean entrance, which the princess might inhabit
till she had passed the fatal age. Everything is easy to fairies; so
three strokes of their