One of the young fairies who sat by her overheard how she grumbled ; and , judging that she might give the little Princess some unlucky gift , went , as soon as they rose from table , and hid herself behind the hangings , that she might speak last , and repair , as much as she could , the evil which the old Fairy might intend . In the meanwhile all the fairies began to give their gifts to the Princess . The youngest gave her for gift that she should be the most beautiful person in the world ; the next , that she should have the wit of an angel ; the third , that she should have a wonderful grace in everything she did ; the fourth , that she should dance perfectly well ; the fifth , that she should sing like a nightingale ; and the sixth , that she should play all kinds of music to the utmost perfection . The old Fairy 's turn coming next , with a head shaking more with spite than age , she said that the Princess should have her hand pierced with a spindle and die of the wound . This terrible gift made the whole company tremble , and everybody fell a-crying . At this very instant the young Fairy came out from behind the hangings , and spake these words aloud : `` Assure yourselves , O King and Queen , that your daughter shall not die of this disaster . It is true , I have no power to undo entirely 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 expiration of which a king 's son shall come and awake her . '' The King , to avoid the misfortune foretold by the old Fairy , caused immediately proclamation to be made , whereby everybody was forbidden , on pain of death , to spin with a distaff and spindle , or to have so much as any spindle in their houses . About fifteen or sixteen years after , the King and Queen being gone to one of their houses of pleasure , the young Princess happened one day to divert herself in running up and down the palace ; when going up from one apartment to another , she came into a little room on the top of the tower , where a good old woman , alone , was spinning with her spindle . This good woman had never heard of the King 's proclamation 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 , `` this is very pretty ; how do you do it ? Give it to me , that I may see if I can do so . '' She had no sooner taken it into her hand than , whether being very hasty at it , somewhat unhandy , or that the decree of the Fairy had so ordained it , it ran into her hand , and she fell down in a swoon . The good old woman , not knowing very well what to do in this affair , cried out for help . People came in from every quarter in great numbers ; they threw water upon the Princess 's face , unlaced her , struck her on the palms of her hands , and rubbed her temples with Hungary-water ; but nothing would bring her to herself .
And now the XXXXX , who came up at the noise , bethought himself of the prediction of the fairies , and , judging very well that this must necessarily come to pass , since the fairies had said it , caused the Princess to be carried into the finest apartment in his palace , and to be laid upon a bed all embroidered with gold and silver .
King Princess day disaster distaff fourth quarter sixth spindles years