Perhaps you will wonder how the princess could tell that the old lady
was an old lady, when I inform you that not only was she beautiful, but
her skin was smooth and white. I will tell you more. Her hair was
combed
back from her forehead and face, and hung loose far down and all over
her back. That is not much like an old lady--is it? Ah! but it was white
almost as snow. And although her face was so smooth, her eyes looked
so
wise that you could not have helped seeing she must be old. The
princess, though she could not have told you why, did think her very
old
indeed--quite fifty--she said to herself. But she was rather older than
that, as you shall hear.
While the princess stared bewildered, with her head just inside the
door, the old lady lifted hers, and said in a sweet, but old and rather
shaky voice, which mingled very pleasantly with the continued hum of
her
wheel:
"Come in, my dear; come in. I am glad to see you."
Madhuri Noah
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