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196 the work did not go on so well this time as usual; they were all deeply buried in thought; they would stop to arrange their dresses and smooth their hair, and they looked at each other with suspicion. Had not the king soon returned they would all have worried themselves to death, although he had promised to take only one of them. Fortunately the king soon made his appearance, and not wishing to keep the girls in suspense any longer, he took the youngest of them, called Libena, by the hand, saying to the old woman,—

"I will take this one away with me."

"Why, what will you do with her?" cried the mother and sisters with one voice.

"What shall I do with her? I will adopt her as my own daughter, since I have none at home. Do you not agree to that?"

"With pleasure," answered the mother; the daughters were dumb with surprise. Then the king stepped into his carriage, placed Libena by his side, and having given the mother a purse full of gold pieces, drove away. The daughters surrounded the mother, and when she had shown them the money they recovered somewhat from their astonishment and were satisfied.

Meanwhile the king drove to his palace, where he had three sons, the youngest of whom was only ten years old.