and she had a new one every day.

She lived in the most beautiful home in the whole world. The ceiling was
made of blue sky, the carpet of soft green grass, and the walls were
formed by lofty trees with their branches interlaced. Everywhere were
flowers of different colors, red and yellow and purple. I can't tell you
how lovely it was, or how happy the king, the queen and the beautiful
princess were who lived there.

One day the princess decided to make for herself a dress as white as
snow, trimmed with shining pearls and sparkling diamonds. If the queen
had known her intention, she would have forbidden the princess to touch
a needle. I will tell you why.

When the princess was a tiny baby, the king and queen had forgotten to
ask one old fairy lady to the christening. As it happened, she wasn't a
good old fairy lady. Perhaps that is why she was forgotten. She came to
the christening without an invitation, which was very rude, and made
herself most disagreeable while she was there. She told the king and
queen that because they had forgotten her, the princess should one day
prick herself with a needle and immediately go to sleep, and that she
should never awake unless the splendid prince should chance to find her.

Now the princess did not know of this, and she forgot to tell her mother
that she intended to make the dress. That was the cause of all the
trouble.

The princess cut and sewed, and sewed and cut, until the dress was
finished. Then she laid aside her old gown, of red and brown, and
dressed herself in the new one. She was just about to replace the needle