Page 31 - Doralice

to England, and when he had landed there and
journeyed to the capital, he made a show of
his jewels and golden ornaments, amongst
which were some spindles and distaffs
cunningly wrought, crying out the while,
'Spindles and distaffs for sale, ladies.' It
chanced that one of the dames of the court,
who was looking out of a window, heard this,

and saw the merchant and his goods;
whereupon she ran to the queen and told her
there was below a merchant who had for sale
the most beautiful golden spindles and distaffs
that ever were seen. The queen commanded
him to be brought into the palace, and he
came up the stairs into her presence, but she

did not recognize him in his merchant's guise;
moreover, she was not thinking ever to behold
her father again; but Tebaldo recognized his
daughter at once.
The queen, when she saw how fair was the
work of the spindles and distaffs, asked of the
merchant what price he put upon them. 'The
price is great,' he answered, 'but to you I will
give one of them for nothing, provided you

suffer me to gratify a caprice of mine. This is
that I may be permitted to sleep one night in
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