The girl wept bitterly for his loss , but in secrecy , as she had told her mistress nothing about her past life . At the end of a year of mourning , the young king let it be known that he intended to marry , and commanded all the maidens in the kingdom to come to a feast , so that he might choose a wife from among them . For weeks all the mothers and all the daughters in the land were busy preparing beautiful dresses and trying new ways of putting up their hair , and the three lovely daughters of Dotterine 's mistress were as much excited as the rest . The girl was clever with her fingers , and was occupied all day with getting ready their smart clothes , but at night when she went to bed she always dreamed that her godmother bent over her and said , ` Dress your young ladies for the feast , and when they have started follow them yourself . Nobody will be so fine as you . ' When the great day came , Dotterine could hardly contain herself , and when she had dressed her young mistresses and seen them depart with their mother she flung herself on her bed , and burst into tears . Then she seemed to hear a voice whisper to her , ` Look in your basket , and you will find in it everything that you need . ' Dotterine did not want to be told twice ! Up she jumped , seized her basket , and repeated the magic words , and behold ! there lay a dress on the bed , shining as a star . She put it on with fingers that trembled with joy , and , looking in the glass , was struck dumb at her own beauty . She went downstairs , and in front of the door stood a fine carriage , into which she stepped and was driven away like the wind . The king 's palace was a long way off , yet it seemed only a few minutes before Dotterine drew up at the great gates . She was just going to alight , when she suddenly remembered she had left her basket behind her . What was she to do ? Go back and fetch it , lest some ill-fortune should befall her , or enter the palace and trust to chance that nothing evil would happen ? But before she could decide , a little swallow flew up with the basket in its beak , and the girl was happy again . The feast was already at its height , and the hall was brilliant with youth and beauty , when the door was flung wide and Dotterine entered , making all the other maidens look pale and dim beside her . Their hopes faded as they gazed , but their mothers whispered together , saying , ` Surely this is our lost princess ! ' The young king did not know her again , but he never left her side nor took his eyes from her .
And XXXXX midnight a strange thing happened .
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