Page:Researches respecting the Book of Sindibad and Portuguese Folk-Tales.djvu/103

 Rh your blessing!" Every one present was much surprised at what they saw and heard; but the ugly woman, turning towards the king, explained to him that the reason of her having such very large eyes came from straining them to make a shirt that could pass through the eye of a needle. After a while another knock was heard at the door, and in came another woman with exceeding large ears. The queen rose and saluted her thus, "Good afternoon, aunt, bestow me your blessing!" Every one present was much surprised, but the woman went up to the king and explained that her ears had become so exceedingly large from her constantly listening to what was said at the distance of three leagues. Not long after this a third knock was heard, and another woman entered who was very, very ugly, and had very long arms. The queen rose from the table and said to her, saluting her, "Good afternoon, aunt, bestow your blessing upon me." All the people were much astonished, but the woman told the king that she had such long arms because she had been obliged to wind a whole skein in half-an-hour. The king then rose and said to the queen that he did not require her to make the shirt, nor to hear what was said at the distance of three leagues, nor did he expect her to wind a whole skein of thread in half-an-hour. And thus it was that the maiden was saved from having to accomplish what her grandmother had told the king she was capable of doing.

XX.—.

There lived once a little maid who was the daughter of poor people. This girl had a cabbage which grew in her kitchen garden, and she was in the habit of watering it. The little maid