But, best of all, the Fairies
endowed the little Princess with beauty, and virtue, and health, and
every good thing that could be desired.
The Queen was thanking the Fairies a thousand times for all their
favours, when the door opened, and a crab appeared.
"Ungrateful Queen," said the crab, "you have not deigned to remember
me, the Fairy of the Fountain; and to punish your ingratitude, if the
Princess sees daylight before she is fifteen years old, she will have
cause to repent it, and it may cost her her life. It was well I took
the form of a crab, for your friendship instead of advancing has gone
backwards." Then in spite of all the Queen and the Fairies could say,
the crab went backwards out of the door, leaving them in the saddest
consternation, and it was long before they could decide what was best
to be done.
Then, with three waves of a wand, the Fairies caused a high tower to
spring up; it had neither door nor window, an underground passage was
made, through which everything necessary could be carried, and in
this tower the little Princess was shut up and there she lived by
candlelight, where never a glimpse of the sun could come.
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