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NCE upon a time there lived a king in a country far away from ours. He had three sons, any of whom he could select as his successor. As he was a very old man, all his counsellors and friends among the noblemen besought him to determine which of the three princes he would choose.

The king promised to make the decision in a month's time, and at the end of the first week he requested his oldest son to be ready to ride out with him the following morning at a certain early hour.

Early in the morning, yet later than they had agreed, the prince appeared in the king's rooms. His father said that he desired to dress, and asked the young man to fetch his garments. The prince turned to a valet, and bid him bring them. The valet inquired, however, which ones he should bring, whereupon the young man repeated the question to the king. He replied, "My overcoat." "Which one?" then asked the valet. So the king was obliged to make yet another explanation about