It was long past midnight when he reached it, but, to his surprise, the old woman was paring potatoes at the door. Fairies are fond of doing odd things. Indeed, however they may dissemble, the night is always their day. And so it is with all who have fairy blood in them. “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.” “Well, I'll tell you a secret. I'm a prince.” “I know that.” “How do you know it?” “By the curl of the third eyelash on your left eyelid.” “Which corner do you count from?” “That's a secret.” “Another secret? Well, at least, if I am a prince, there can be no harm in telling me about a princess.” “It's just the princes I can't tell.” “There ain't any more of them--are there?” said the prince. “What! you don't think you're the only prince in the world, do you?” “Oh, dear, no! not at all. But I know there's one too many just at present, except the princess----” “Yes, yes, that's it,” said the fairy. “What's it?” asked the prince. But he could get nothing more out of the fairy, and had to go to bed unanswered, which was something of a trial. Now wicked fairies will not be bound by the law which the good fairies obey, and this always seems to give the bad the advantage over the good, for they use means to gain their ends which the others will not. But it is all of no consequence, for what they do never succeeds; nay, in the end it brings about the very thing they are trying to prevent. So you see that somehow, for all their cleverness, wicked fairies are dreadfully stupid, for, although from the beginning of the world they have really helped instead of thwarting the good fairies, not one of them is a bit wiser for it. She will try the bad thing just as they all did before her; and succeeds no better of course.