After a while the shuttle jumped out of the hand of the girl and danced out of the house and began weaving a beautiful carpet. On it were flowers and fruits, and animals, and birds and trees. It was a wonderful carpet and grew so fast that you could see it as it spread along the path and down the road.
By and by the prince came to the carpet.
“What is this? A wonderful carpet! It must lead somewhere,” and he got off his horse and began to walk on the carpet that grew bigger and more beautiful every minute.
And now the needle leaped out of the hands of the poor girl and began to sew all by itself. It began to make the most beautiful dresses in the world, with gold thread and lace and fine velvet. They fitted the young girl exactly, and when the prince came into the cottage she sat in a chair covered with embroidery, wearing a dress fit for a bride of a king.
The prince took her by the hand and said:
“You are the poor girl of my dreams. You shall be my princess, for you are more beautiful than the things you wear.” And at the wedding, the spindle, the shuttle, and the needle danced until they were quite tired out.
THE NÜRNBERG STOVE
(Adapted from Ouida)