Now, as she had not been asked to the feast she was very angry, and scolded the king and queen very much, and set to work to take her revenge. Just as eleven of them had done blessing her, a great noise was heard in the courtyard, and word was brought that the thirteenth fairy was come, with a black cap on her head, and black shoes on her feet, and a broomstick in her hand: and presently up she came into the dining-hall. One gave her goodness, another beauty, another riches, and so on till she had all that was good in the world.

So twelve fairies came, each with a high red cap on her head, and red shoes with high heels on her feet, and a long white wand in her hand: and after the feast was over they gathered round in a ring and gave all their best gifts to the little princess. But the queen said, ‘I will have the fairies also, that they might be kind and good to our little daughter.’ Now there were thirteen fairies in the kingdom but as the king and queen had only twelve golden dishes for them to eat out of, they were forced to leave one of the fairies without asking her. So he asked his kinsmen, and nobles, and friends, and neighbours. Then the queen took pity on the little fish, and threw it back again into the river and before it swam away it lifted its head out of the water and said, ‘I know what your wish is, and it shall be fulfilled, in return for your kindness to me-you will soon have a daughter.’ What the little fish had foretold soon came to pass and the queen had a little girl, so very beautiful that the king could not cease looking on it for joy, and said he would hold a great feast and make merry, and show the child to all the land. But one day as the queen was walking by the side of the river, at the bottom of the garden, she saw a poor little fish, that had thrown itself out of the water, and lay gasping and nearly dead on the bank. Now this king and queen had plenty of money, and plenty of fine clothes to wear, and plenty of good things to eat and drink, and a coach to ride out in every day:but though they had been married many years they had no children, and this grieved them very much indeed. You should visit Browse Happy and update your internet browser today!Ī king and queen once upon a time reigned in a country a great way off, where there were in those days fairies.

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Jane yolen's briar rose