and nobody even knew she was a fairy except the other fairies.
A wicked old thing she was, always concealing her power,
and being as disagreeable as she could, in order to tempt people
to give her offence, that she might have the pleasure of taking
vengeance upon them. The people about thought she was a witch,
and those who knew her by sight were careful to avoid offending her.
She lived in a mud house, in a swampy part of the forest.

In all history we find that fairies give their remarkable gifts
to prince or princess, or any child of sufficient importance in
their eyes, always at the christening. Now this we can understand,
because it is an ancient custom amongst human beings as well;
and it is not hard to explain why wicked fairies should choose
the same time to do unkind things; but it is difficult to understand
how they should be able to do them, for you would fancy all wicked
creatures would be powerless on such an occasion. But I never knew
of any interference on the part of the wicked fairy that did not
turn out a good thing in the end. What a good thing, for instance,
it was that one princess should sleep for a hundred years! Was she
not saved from all the plague of young men who were not worthy of her?
And did she not come awake exactly at the right moment when the
right prince kissed her? For my part, I cannot help wishing a good
many girls would sleep till just the same fate overtook them.
It would be happier for them, and more agreeable to their friends.

Of course all the known fairies were invited to the christening.
But the king and queen never thought of inviting an old witch.

For the power of the fairies they have by nature; whereas a witch gets
her power by wickedness. The other fairies, however, knowing the