here lived in Spain a notable and beautiful virgin, but far more famous for
her excellence at her needle, insomuch that happy did the courtier think
himself who could wear the smallest piece of her work, though at a price
almost invaluable. It happened one day, as this admirable seamstress sate
working in her garden, that, casting aside her eyes on some fair flower or
tree, she saw, as she thought, a little gentleman, yet one that showed great
nobility by his clothing, coming riding toward her from behind a bed of
flowers; thus, surprised how anybody should come into her garden, but much
more at the stature of the person, who, as he was on horseback, exceeded not a
foot's length in height, she had reason to suspect that her eyes deceived her.
But the gallant, spurring his horse up the garden, made it not long,t hough
his horse was little, before he came to see her: then, greeting the lady in
most decent manner, after some compliments passed, he acquatins her with the
cause of his bold arrival; that, forasmuch as he was a prince amongst the
fairies, and did intend to celebrate his marriage on such a day, he desired
she would work points for him and his princess against the time he
appointed.The lady consented to his demands, and he took his leave, but whether the multitude of business caused the lady to forget her promise, or the strangeness of the thing made her neglect her work, thinking her sight to have been deceived, I know not; yet so it fell out, that when the appointed time came, the work was not ready. The hour wherein she had promised the fairy prince some fruits of her needle happened to be one day as she was at dinner with many noble persons, having quite forgot her promise; when, on a sudden, casting her eye to the door, she saw an infinite train of fairies come in; so that, fixing her eyes on them, and remembering how she neglected her promise, she sate as one amazed, and astonished the whole company. But, at last, the train had mounted upon the table, and as they were prancing on their horses round the brims of a large dish of white-broth, an office that seemed too busy in making way before them, fell into the dish, which caused the lady to burst into a sudden fit of laughter, and thereby to recover her senses.
When the whole fairy company was come upon the table, that the brims of every dish seemed filled with little horsemen, she saw the prince coming towards her, hearing that she had not done what she promised, seemed to go away displeased. The lady presently fell into a fit of melancholy, and, being asked by her friends the cause of these alterations and astonishments, related the whole matter; but not withstanding all their consolations, pined away and died not long after.
