s she always did--sent for all the fairies to be present at
the ceremony, and afterwards invited them to a splendid banquet.

When it was over, and they were preparing to go away, the Queen said to
them:

'Do not forget your usual good custom. Tell me what is going to happen
to Rosette.'

For that was the name they had given the Princess.

But the fairies said they had left their book of magic at home, and they
would come another day and tell her.

'Ah!' said the Queen, 'I know very well what that means--you have
nothing good to say; but at least I beg that you will not hide anything
from me.'

So, after a great deal of persuasion, they said:

'Madam, we fear that Rosette may be the cause of great misfortunes to
her brothers; they may even meet with their death through her; that is
all we have been able to foresee about your dear little daughter. We are
very sorry to have nothing better to tell you.'

Then they went away, leaving the Queen very sad, so sad that the King
noticed it, and asked her what was the matter.

The Queen said that she had been sitting too near the fire, and had
burnt all the flax that was upon her distaff.

'Oh! is that all?' said the King, and he went up into the garret and
brought her down more flax than she could spin in a hundred years. But
the Queen still looked sad, and the King asked her again what was the
matter. She answered that she had been walking by the river and had
dropped one of her green satin slippers into the water.

'Oh! if that's all,' said the King, and he sent to all the shoe-makers
in his kingdom, and they very soon made the Queen ten thousand green
satin slippers, but still she looked sad. So the King asked her again
what was the matter, and this time she answered that in eating her
porridge too hastily she had swallowed her wedding-ring. But it so
happened that the King knew better, for he had the ring himself, and he
said:

'Oh I you are not telling me the truth, for I have your ring here in my
purse.'

Then the Queen was very much ashamed, and she saw that the King was
vexed with her; so she told him all that the fairies had predicted about
Rosette, and begged him to think how the misfortunes might be prevented.

Then it was the King's turn to look sad, and at last he said:

'I see no way of saving our sons except by having Rosette's head cut off
while she is still little.'

But the Queen cried that she would far rather have her own head cut
off, an