The King was sorry to have frightened her so much , and proposed that they should go and hold a council as to what was best to be done to avert the misfortunes which Carabosse certainly meant to bring upon the little Princess . So all the counsellors were summoned to the palace , and when they had shut every door and window , and stuffed up every keyhole that they might not be overheard , they talked the affair over , and decided that every fairy for a thousand leagues round should be invited to the christening of the Princess , and that the time of the ceremony should be kept a profound secret , in case the Fairy Carabosse should take it into her head to attend it . The Queen and her ladies set to work to prepare presents for the fairies who were invited : for each one a blue velvet cloak , a petticoat of apricot satin , a pair of high-heeled shoes , some sharp needles , and a pair of golden scissors . Of all the fairies the Queen knew , only five were able to come on the day appointed , but they began immediately to bestow gifts upon the Princess . One promised that she should be perfectly beautiful , the second that she should understand anything -- no matter what -- the first time it was explained to her , the third that she should sing like a nightingale , the fourth that she should succeed in everything she undertook , and the fifth was opening her mouth to speak when a tremendous rumbling was heard in the chimney , and Carabosse , all covered with soot , came rolling down , crying : ' I say that she shall be the unluckiest of the unlucky until she is twenty years old . ' Then the Queen and all the fairies began to beg and beseech her to think better of it , and not be so unkind to the poor little Princess , who had never done her any harm . But the ugly old Fairy only grunted and made no answer . So the last Fairy , who had not yet given her gift , tried to mend matters by promising the Princess a long and happy life after the fatal time was over . At this Carabosse laughed maliciously , and climbed away up the chimney , leaving them all in great consternation , and especially the Queen . However , she entertained the fairies splendidly , and gave them beautiful ribbons , of which they are very fond , in addition to the other presents . When they were going away the oldest Fairy said that they were of opinion that it would be best to shut the Princess up in some place , with her waiting-women , so that she might not see anyone else until she was twenty years old . So the King had a tower built on purpose . It had no windows , so it was lighted with wax candles , and the only way into it was by an underground passage , which had iron doors only twenty feet apart , and guards were posted everywhere . The Princess had been named Mayblossom , because she was as fresh and blooming as Spring itself , and she grew up tall and beautiful , and everything she did and said was charming . Every time the King and Queen came to see her they were more delighted with her than before , but though she was weary of the tower , and often begged them to take her away from it , they always refused . The Princess 's nurse , who had never left her , sometimes told her about the world outside the tower , and though the Princess had never seen anything for herself , yet she always understood exactly , thanks to the second Fairy 's gift . Often the King said to the Queen : ` We were cleverer than Carabosse after all . Our Mayblossom will be happy in spite of her predictions . ' And the Queen laughed until she was tired at the idea of having outwitted the old Fairy . They had caused the Princess 's portrait to be painted and sent to all the neighbouring Courts , for in four days she would have completed her twentieth year , and it was time to decide whom she should marry .
All the town was rejoicing at the thought of the Princess 's approaching freedom , and when the news came XXXXX King Merlin was sending his ambassador to ask her in marriage for his son , they were still more delighted .
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