صفحة 56 من 626

It would have been all over with her, likewise, if, by good

fortune, a tailor who was travelling in search of work, had not

sat down to rest by the brook. As he had a compassionate heart he

pulled out his needle and thread, and sewed her together. The

bean thanked him most prettily, but as the tailor used black

thread, all beans since then have a black seam.

BRIAR ROSE

A king and queen once upon a time reigned in a country a great

way off, where there were in those days fairies. Now this king

and queen had plenty of money, and plenty of fine clothes to

wear, and plenty of good things to eat and drink, and a coach to

ride out in every day: but though they had been married many

years they had no children, and this grieved them very much

indeed. But one day as the queen was walking by the side of the

river, at the bottom of the garden, she saw a poor little fish,

that had thrown itself out of the water, and lay gasping and

nearly dead on the bank.