The lady-in-waiting promised to carry out the queen 's directions , and above all to keep the affair a secret . And that same morning the queen died . After some years the king married again , but he did not love his second wife as he had done his first , and had only married her for reasons of ambition . She hated her step-children , and the king , seeing this , kept them out of the way , under the care of Dotterine 's old nurse . But if they ever strayed across the path of the queen , she would kick them out of her sight like dogs . On Dotterine 's tenth birthday her nurse handed her over the cradle , and repeated to her her mother 's dying words ; but the child was too young to understand the value of such a gift , and at first thought little about it . Two more years slipped by , when one day during the king 's absence the stepmother found Dotterine sitting under a lime tree . She fell as usual into a passion , and beat the child so badly that Dotterine went staggering to her own room . Her nurse was not there , but suddenly , as she stood weeping , her eyes fell upon the golden case in which lay the precious basket . She thought it might contain something to amuse her , and looked eagerly inside , but nothing was there save a handful of wool and two empty eggshells . Very much disappointed , she lifted the wool , and there lay the goose 's wing . ` What old rubbish , ' said the child to herself , and , turning , threw the wing out of the open window . In a moment a beautiful lady stood beside her . ` Do not be afraid , ' said the lady , stroking Dotterine 's head . ' I am your godmother , and have come to pay you a visit . Your red eyes tell me that you are unhappy . I know that your stepmother is very unkind to you , but be brave and patient , and better days will come . She will have no power over you when you are grown up , and no one else can hurt you either , if only you are careful never to part from your basket , or to lose the eggshells that are in it . Make a silken case for the little basket , and hide it away in your dress night and day and you will be safe from your stepmother and anyone that tries to harm you . But if you should happen to find yourself in any difficulty , and can not tell what to do , take the goose 's wing from the basket , and throw it out of the window , and in a moment I will come to help you .
Now come into the garden , that I may talk XXXXX you under the lime trees , where no one can hear us . '
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