"Why, what are you doing there, this time of the night,
mother?" said the prince; for that was the kind way in which any
young man in his country would address a woman who was much
older than himself.
"Getting your supper ready, my son," she answered.
"Oh, I don't want any supper," said the prince.
"Ah! you've seen Daylight," said she.
"I've seen a princess who never saw it," said the prince.
"Do you like her?" asked the fairy.
"Oh! don't I?" said the prince. "More than you would
believe, mother."
"A fairy can believe anything that ever was or ever could
be," said the old woman.
"Then are you a fairy?" asked the prince.
"Yes," said she.
"Then what do you do for things not to believe?" asked the
prince.
"There's plenty of them -- everything that never was nor
ever could be."
"Plenty, I grant you," said the prince. "But do you believe
there could be a princess who never saw the daylight? Do you
believe that now?"
This the prince said, not that he doubted the princess, but
that he wanted the fairy to tell him more. She was too old a
fairy, however, to be caught so easily.
"Of all people, fairies must not tell secrets. Besides,
she's a princess.
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