`` How often must I tell you that there are no fairies ? And even if there were -- but , no matter ; pray let us drop the subject . '' `` They are very old friends of our family , my dear , that 's all , '' said the king timidly . `` Often and often they have been godmothers to us . One , in particular , was most kind and most serviceable to Cinderella I. , my own grandmother . '' `` Your grandmother ! '' interrupted her majesty . `` Fiddle-de-dee ! If anyone puts such nonsense into the head of my little Prigio -- '' But here the baby was brought in by the nurse , and the queen almost devoured it with kisses . And so the fairies were not invited ! It was an extraordinary thing , but none of the nobles could come to the christening party when they learned that the fairies had not been asked . Some were abroad ; several were ill ; a few were in prison among the Saracens ; others were captives in the dens of ogres . The end of it was that the king and queen had to sit down alone , one at each end of a very long table , arrayed with plates and glasses for a hundred guests -- for a hundred guests who never came ! `` Any soup , my dear ? '' shouted the king , through a speaking-trumpet ; when , suddenly , the air was filled with a sound like the rustling of the wings of birds . Flitter , flitter , flutter , went the noise ; and when the queen looked up , lo and behold ! on every seat was a lovely fairy , dressed in green , each with a most interesting-looking parcel in her hand . Do n't you like opening parcels ? The king did , and he was most friendly and polite to the fairies . But the queen , though she saw them distinctly , took no notice of them .
You see , she did not believe in fairies , nor XXXXX her own eyes , when she saw them .
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