‘Now you look as you ought to look, Delicia: what do you think about it yourself?’
And Delicia answered:
‘I feel as if I were the daughter of some great king.’
‘And would you be glad if you were?’ said the Fairy.
‘Indeed I should,’ answered she.
‘Ah, well,’ said the Fairy, ‘to-morrow I may have some pleasant news for you.’
So she hurried back to her castle, where the Queen sat busy with her embroidery, and cried:
‘Well, madam! will you wager your thimble and your golden needle that I am bringing you the best news you could possibly hear?’
‘Alas!’ sighed the Queen, ‘since the death of the Jolly King and the loss of my Delicia, all the news in the world is not worth a pin to me.
‘There, there, don’t be melancholy,’ said the Fairy. ‘I assure you the Princess is quite well, and I have never seen her equal for beauty. She might be a Queen to-morrow if she chose;’ and then she told all that had happened, and the Queen first rejoiced over the thought of Delicia’s beauty, and then wept at the idea of her being a Turkey-maiden.