Curiosities and wonders > Sleeping beauty of the wood

precious stones; but, as they were all sitting
down at the table, they saw come into the hall a
very old fairy, whom they had not invited, be¬
cause it was near fifty years since she had been
out of a certain tower, and was thought to have
been either dead or enchanted.
The king ordered her a cover, but could not
furnish her with a case of gold as the others had,
because he had only seven made for the seven
fairies. The old fairy, thinking she was slighted
by not being treated in the same manner as the
rest, murmured out some threats between her
teeth
One of the young fairies who sat by her
overheard how she grumbled, and judging that
she might give the little princess some unlucky
gift, she went, as soon as she rose from the ta¬
ble, and hid herself behind the hangings, that
she might speak last, and repair, as much as pos¬
sibly she could, the evil which the old fairy might
intend.
In the meanwhile, all the fairies began to give
their gifts to the princess in the following man¬
ner :—
The youngest gave her a gift, that she should
be the most beautiful person in the world.
The third, that she would have a wonderful
grace in every tinny that she did.