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nay, even so much as to have a spindle in any of their houses.
About fiftcen or sixteen years after the king and queen being gone to one of their houses of pleasure, the young princess happened to divert herself by going up and down the palace, when, going up from one apartment to another, she at length came into a little room at the top of the tower, where an old woman was sitting all alone, and spinning with her spindle.
This good woman had not heard of the king's proelamation against spindles.
What are you doing there, Goody? said the princess. I am spinning, my pretty child, said the old woman, who did not know who she was. Ha! said the princess, that is very pretty: how do you do it? give it to me, that I may see if I can do so. The old woman, to satisfy the child's curiosity, granted her request. She had no sooner taken it into her hand, than whether being very hasty at it, and somewhat unhandy, or that the decree of the spiteful fairy had ordained it, is not to be certainly ascertained; but, however, it immediately ran into her hand, and she directly fell down upon the ground in a swoon.
The good old woman, not knowing what to do in this affair, cried out for help. People came in from every quarter in great numbers; some
