world an example of patience which it will be difficult to imitate."
Thereupon she had brought to her a pair of iron shoes so small that she couldn't get half her foot into either of them; but notwithstanding that, she was compelled to put them on. The poor Queen could only weep and suffer. "Here!" said Magotine, "there is a spindle full of spider's web. I expect you to spin it as fine as your hair, and I give you but two hours to do it in." "I have never spun, Madam," said the Queen; "but though what you desire appears to me to be impossible, I will endeavour to obey you." She was led immediately into the depths of a very dark grotto, the entrance to which was closed with a great stone, after they had given her some brown bread and a pitcher of water.
In trying to spin this filthy spider's web, she dropped her too heavy spindle a hundred times. She had the patience to pick it up again as many, and to begin her work over again, but always in vain. "Clearly do I now perceive," said she, "the extent of my misery. I am consigned to the power of the implacable Magotine, who is not satisfied with having deprived me of all my beauty,—she would find some pretext to kill me." She began to weep, recalling to her memory the happiness she enjoyed in the kingdom of Pagodia, and casting away her spindle, exclaimed, "Let Magotine come when she will! I cannot do impossibilities." A voice answered, "Ah Queen, your too imprudent curiosity has caused you these tears; but one cannot see those suffer whom we love. I have a friend whom I have not mentioned to you before. She is called the Fairy Protectrice. I trust she will be of great service to you." Immediately she heard three taps, and without seeing any one, she found her web spun and wound into a skein.
At the expiration of the two hours, Magotine, who was eager for a fray, had the stone rolled from the mouth of the grotto, and entered it, followed by a numerous train of puppets. "Come, come, let us see," said the Fairy, "the work of this idle hussy, who neither knows how to sew nor to spin." "Madam," said the Queen, "it is quite true I did not; but I was obliged to learn." When Magotine saw the extraordinary result, she took the skein of spider's web, and said,
