There was a king who had twelve beautiful daughters. They slept intwelve beds all in one room; and when they went to bed, the doors wereshut and locked up; but every morning their shoes were found to bequite worn through as if they had been danced in all night; and yetnobody could find out how it happened, or where they had been.
Then the king made it known to all the land, that if any personcould discover the secret, and find out where it was that the princessesdanced in the night, he should have the one he liked best for hiswife, and should be king after his death; but whoever tried and didnot succeed, after three days and nights, should be put to death.
A king’s son soon came. He was well entertained, and in the eveningwas taken to the chamber next to the one where the princesses lay intheir twelve beds. There he was to sit and watch where they went todance; and, in order that nothing might pass without his hearing it,the door of his chamber was left open. But the king’s son soon fellasleep; and when he awoke in the morning he found that the princesseshad all been dancing, for the soles of their shoes were full of holes.The same thing happened the second and third night: so the kingordered his head to be cut off. After him came several others; butthey had all the same luck, and all lost their lives in the samemanner.
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