he king's absence the
stepmother found Dotterine sitting under a lime tree. She fell as
usual into a passion, and beat the child so badly that Dotterine went
staggering to her own room. Her nurse was not there, but suddenly, as
she stood weeping, her eyes fell upon the golden case in which lay the
precious basket. She thought it might contain something to amuse her,
and looked eagerly inside, but nothing was there save a handful of wool
and two empty eggshells. Very much disappointed, she lifted the wool,
and there lay the goose's wing. 'What old rubbish,' said the child to
herself, and, turning, threw the wing out of the open window.

In a moment a beautiful lady stood beside her. 'Do not be afraid,' said
the lady, stroking Dotterine's head. 'I am your godmother, and have come
to pay you a visit. Your red eyes tell me that you are unhappy. I know
that your stepmother is very unkind to you, but be brave and patient,
and better days will come. She will have no power over you when you are
grown up, and no one else can hurt you either, if only you are careful
never to part from your basket, or to lose the eggshells that are in it.
Make a silken case for the little basket, and hide it away in your dress
night and day and you will be safe from your stepmother and anyone that
tries to harm you. But if you should happen to find yourself in any
difficulty, and cannot tell what to do, take the goose's wing from the
basket, and throw it out of the window, and in a moment I will come to
help you. Now come into the garden, that I may talk to you under the
lime trees, where no one can hear us.'

They had so much to say to each other, that the sun was already setting
when the godmother had ended all the good advice she wished to give the
child, and saw it was time for her to be going. 'Hand me the basket,'
said she, 'for you must have some supper. I cannot let you go hungry to
bed.'

Then, bending over the basket, she whispered some magic words, and
instantly a table covered with fruits and cakes stood on the ground
before them. When they had finished eating, the godmother led the child
back, and on the way taught her the words she must say to the basket
when she wanted it to give her something.

In a few years more, Dotterine was a grown-up young lady, and those who
saw her thought that the world did not contain so lovely a girl.

About this time a terrible war broke out, and the king and his army were
beaten back and back, til