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As the party were again settling themselves another knock came to the door. A servant opening it, let in a woman with one hand as big as a stool. The weight of this hand hanging by her side gave her body a great lean over, so that as she hobbled up the floor the company at the table lay back, laughing and clapping their hands at the fu
“Weaving,” she said. “I have slaved at the shuttle all my life; that’s what has come on me.”
“Then,” the Prince said, striking the table a thundering blow, “by my word, my wife shall never throw a shuttle again while I live to prevent it.”
A third time the company were ready to begin their repast, when again there came a knock to the door. Every one looked up; and they saw the servant now admit an ugly old woman with the most monstrous nose ever beheld. This woman likewise took a chair at the table. She was then asked who had invited her—the bride or the groom. She said she was one of the bride’s party. Then the Prince, going up to her, asked her why her nose had come to be so very big.
“It’s with sewing,” she said. “All my life I have been bending my head over sewing, so that every drop of blood ran down into my nose, swelling it out like that.”
Then the Prince struck the table a blow that made the dishes leap and rattle.
“By my word,” he said, “my wife shall never either put a needle in cloth again or do any other sort of household work while I live to prevent it.”
And the Prince faithfully kept his word. He was always on the lookout to try and catch Nabla spi
Poor Nabla, however, never did anything to confirm his uneasiness, but, taking her old mother to stop in the Castle with her, lived happy and contented, and as lazy as the day was long, ever after.
Shan Ban and Ned Fly
SHAN BAN and Ned Fly