father was king of six kingdoms; he loved my mother tenderly, and allowed her full liberty to do whatever she liked. Her ruling passion was travelling, and shortly before I was born she undertook a journey to a certain mountain of which she had heard a most surprising account. Whilst on her road thither she was told that near the spot she was then passing there was an old Fairy Castle, the most beautiful in the world;—at least so it was believed to be, from a tradition concerning it; for as no one entered it, they could not form an opinion; but they knew for certain that the Fairies had in their garden the finest, the most delicious and most delicate fruit that was ever eaten.
"The Queen, my mother, immediately took such a violent fancy to taste it, that she turned her steps towards the Castle. She arrived at the gate of that superb edifice, which blazed with gold and azure on all sides: but she knocked in vain. Nobody appeared to answer her; it seemed as if everybody in the Castle was dead. Her desire was increased by the difficulty. She sent for ladders in order that her attendants might get over the garden walls, and they would have succeeded in doing so if the said walls had not visibly increased in height though no one was seen to work at them. They lengthened the ladders by tying two or three together, but they broke under the weight of those who mounted them, and who either lamed or killed themselves.
"The Queen was in despair. She saw the great trees laden with fruit which looked delicious. She was determined to eat some, or die. She therefore had some very splendid tents pitched before the Castle, and remained there six weeks with all her court. She neither slept nor ate; she sighed unceasingly, she talked of nothing but the fruit of the inaccessible garden. At length she fell dangerously ill, without any one soever being able to find the least remedy for her complaint, for the inexorable Fairies had never so much as even appeared since she had established herself in front of the Castle. All her officers afflicted themselves exceedingly. Nothing was to be heard but sobs and sighs, while the dying Queen kept asking for fruit from her attendants, but cared for none except that which was denied her.
"One night, having felt a little drowsy, she saw on re-opening her eyes, a little old woman, ugly and decrepit, seated in
