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NCE, in olden times, there was a merchant whose wife had died, leaving him three daughters. The eldest two were plain of face and hard of heart and cared for nothing but finery, while the youngest was a good house-keeper, kind-hearted, and so beautiful that it could neither be told in a tale nor written down with a pen.

One day, when the merchant set out for the Fair, he called his three daughters and asked: "My dear daughters, what do ye most desire me to buy for you?" The eldest answered, "Bring me a piece of rich brocade for a gown." The second said, "Bring me a fine scarf for a shawl." But the youngest replied: "Little father, bring me only a scarlet flower to set in my window."

The two sisters laughed at her request. "Little fool," they said, "what dost thou want of a scarlet