[Illustration:  “It went on very easily.” p. 10.]

And now her two sisters found her to be that beautiful lady they had seen at the ball.  They threw themselves at her feet to beg pardon for all their ill treatment of her.  Cinderella took them up, and, as she embraced them, said that she forgave them with all her heart, and begged them to love her always.

She was conducted to the young Prince, dressed as she was.  He thought her more charming than ever, and, a few days after, married her.  Cinderella, who was as good as she was beautiful, gave her two sisters a home in the palace, and that very same day married them to two great lords of the Court.

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOODS.

Once upon a time there was a king and a queen, who were very sorry that they had no children,—­so sorry that it cannot be told.

At last, however, the Queen had a daughter.  There was a very fine christening; and the Princess had for her godmothers all the fairies they could find in the whole kingdom (there were seven of them), so that every one of them might confer a gift upon her, as was the custom of fairies in those days.  By this means the Princess had all the perfections imaginable.

After the christening was over, the company returned to the King’s palace, where was prepared a great feast for the fairies.  There was placed before every one of them a magnificent cover with a case of massive gold, wherein were a spoon, and a knife and fork, all of pure gold set with diamonds and rubies.  But as they were all sitting down at table they saw a very old fairy come into the hall.  She had not been invited, because for more than fifty years she had not been out of a certain tower, and she was believed to be either dead or enchanted.

The King ordered her a cover, but he could not give her a case of gold as the others had, because seven only had been made for the seven fairies.  The old fairy fancied she was slighted, and muttered threats between her teeth.  One of the young fairies who sat near heard her, and, judging that she might give the little Princess some unlucky gift, hid herself behind the curtains as soon as they left the table.  She hoped that she might speak last and undo as much as she could the evil which the old fairy might do.

In the meanwhile all the fairies began to give their gifts to the Princess.  The youngest gave her for her gift that she should be the most beautiful person in the world; the next, that she should have the wit of an angel; the third, that she should be able to do everything she did gracefully; the fourth, that she should dance perfectly; the fifth, that she should sing like a nightingale; and the sixth, that she should play all kinds of musical instruments to the fullest perfection.

The old fairy’s turn coming next, her head shaking more with spite than with age, she said that the Princess should pierce her hand with a spindle and die of the wound.  This terrible gift made the whole company tremble, and everybody fell a-crying.