Curiosities and wonders > Sleeping beauty of the wood

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The fourth, that she would sing perfectly well
And the sixth, that she would play on all
kinds of musical instruments to the utmost degree
of perfection.
The old fairy’s turn coming next, she advan¬
ced forward, and, with a shaking head which
seemed to show more spite than age, she said,
That the princess would have her hands pierced
with a spindle, and die of the wound.
This terrible gift made the whole company
tremble, and every one of them fell a-crying.
At this very instant the young fairy came out
from behind the curtains, and spoke these wmrds
aloud: Assure yourselves, O king and queen,
that your daughter shall not die of this disaster.
It is true I have not power to undo what my
elder has done. The princess shall indeed pierce
! her hand with a spindle; but, instead of dying,
1 she shall only fall into a profound sleep, which
| shall last a hundred years, at the expiration of
which a king’s son shall come, and awake her
from it.
The king, to avoid this misfortune, told by
the old splenetic and malicious fairy, caused im¬
mediately his royal proclamation to be issued
forth, whereby every person was forbidden, upon
pain of death, to spin with a distaff or spindle;