content: the king , to avoid the misfortune foretold by the old fairy , caused immediately proclamation to be made , whereby everybody was forbidden , on pain of death , to spin with a distaff and spindle , or to have so much as any spindle in their houses . about fifteen or sixteen years after , the king and queen being gone to one of their houses of pleasure , the young princess happened one day to divert herself in running up and down the palace ; when going up from one apartment to another , she came into a little room on the top of the tower , where a good old woman , alone , was spinning with her spindle . this good woman had never heard of the king 's proclamation against spindles .
answer: spinning with her spindle .
question: what was the old woman doing ?
target: what was the old woman doing ?
references: what was the old woman doing ?