` Here I am , Princess , as much as ever at your service , ' said he , ` though really you are not very kind to me . ' Then he just stroked the skein with his wand , and all the broken threads joined themselves together , and the whole skein wound itself smoothly off in the most surprising manner , and the Prince , turning to Graciosa , asked if there was nothing else that she wished him to do for her , and if the time would never come when she would wish for him for his own sake . ` Do n't be vexed with me , Percinet , ' she said . ' I am unhappy enough without that . ' ` But why should you be unhappy , my Princess ? ' cried he . ` Only come with me and we shall be as happy as the day is long together . ' ` But suppose you get tired of me ? ' said Graciosa . The Prince was so grieved at this want of confidence that he left her without another word . The wicked Queen was in such a hurry to punish Graciosa that she thought the sun would never set ; and indeed it was before the appointed time that she came with her four Fairies , and as she fitted the three keys into the locks she said : ` I 'll venture to say that the idle minx has not done anything at all -- she prefers to sit with her hands before her to keep them white . ' But , as soon as she entered , Graciosa presented her with the ball of thread in perfect order , so that she had no fault to find , and could only pretend to discover that it was soiled , for which imaginary fault she gave Graciosa a blow on each cheek , that made her white and pink skin turn green and yellow . And then she sent her back to be locked into the garret once more . Then the Queen sent for the Fairy again and scolded her furiously . ` Do n't make such a mistake again ; find me something that it will be quite impossible for her to do , ' she said . So the next day the Fairy appeared with a huge barrel full of the feathers of all sorts of birds . There were nightingales , canaries , goldfinches , linnets , tomtits , parrots , owls , sparrows , doves , ostriches , bustards , peacocks , larks , partridges , and everything else that you can think of . These feathers were all mixed up in such confusion that the birds themselves could not have chosen out their own . ` Here , ' said the Fairy , ` is a little task which it will take all your prisoner 's skill and patience to accomplish . Tell her to pick out and lay in a separate heap the feathers of each bird .
She would need XXXXX be a fairy to do it . '
as at for if in of though to with without