THE SLEEPING BEAUTY. 13

 

spoke these words aloud : ‘‘ Assure your-
selves, O King and Queen, that your
daughter shall not die of this disaster.
It is true, I have not the power to undo
what my elder has done. The princess
shall indeed .pierce her hand with a
spindle ; but, instead of dying, she shall
only fall into a profound sleep, which
shall last a hundred years, at the end of
which time a king’s son shall come, and
awake her from it.”

The king, to avoid this misfortune told
by the old malicious fairy, caused at once
his royal command to be issued forth,
whereby every person was forbidden,
upon pain of death, to spin with a distaff