At this proof that the old woman had spoken truth , the queen 's heart bounded , for she now had fresh hopes that the rest of the prophecy might be fulfilled . She cherished the basket and the egg as her chiefest treasures , and had a golden case made for the basket , so that when the time came to lay the egg in it , it might not risk any harm . Three months passed , and , as the old woman had bidden her , the queen took the egg from her bosom , and laid it snugly amidst the warm woollen folds . The next morning she went to look at it , and the first thing she saw was the broken eggshell , and a little doll lying among the pieces . Then she felt happy at last , and leaving the doll in peace to grow , waited , as she had been told , for a baby of her own to lay beside it . In course of time , this came also , and the queen took the little girl out of the basket , and placed it with her son in a golden cradle which glittered with precious stones . Next she sent for the king , who nearly went mad with joy at the sight of the children . Soon there came a day when the whole court was ordered to be present at the christening of the royal babies , and when all was ready the queen softly opened the window a little , and let the goose wing fly out . The guests were coming thick and fast , when suddenly there drove up a splendid coach drawn by six cream-coloured horses , and out of it stepped a young lady dressed in garments that shone like the sun . Her face could not be seen , for a veil covered her head , but as she came up to the place where the queen was standing with the babies she drew the veil aside , and everyone was dazzled with her beauty . She took the little girl in her arms , and holding it up before the assembled company announced that henceforward it would be known by the name of Dotterine -- a name which no one understood but the queen , who knew that the baby had come from the yolk of an egg . The boy was called Willem . After the feast was over and the guests were going away , the godmother laid the baby in the cradle , and said to the queen , ` Whenever the baby goes to sleep , be sure you lay the basket beside her , and leave the eggshells in it . As long as you do that , no evil can come to her ; so guard this treasure as the apple of your eye , and teach your daughter to do so likewise . ' Then , kissing the baby three times , she mounted her coach and drove away . The children throve well , and Dotterine 's nurse loved her as if she were the baby 's real mother . Every day the little girl seemed to grow prettier , and people used to say she would soon be as beautiful as her godmother , but no one knew , except the nurse , that at night , when the child slept , a strange and lovely lady bent over her . At length she told the queen what she had seen , but they determined to keep it as a secret between themselves . The twins were by this time nearly two years old , when the queen was taken suddenly ill . All the best doctors in the country were sent for , but it was no use , for there is no cure for death .
The queen knew she was dying , and sent XXXXX Dotterine and her nurse , who had now become her lady-in-waiting .
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