KING Hradibor was a wise and a clever man.

He was wise because he would travel about the country, that he might see everything for himself; he was clever because he did so under an assumed name, in order that people might not prepare themselves for his visits. In this way he saw many remarkable things-things of which he had not the remotest idea before; and no wonder, for he would not only go into open towns and villages, but even into the poorest hut if it came in his way. In a miserable hovel he once saw what he had never seen beforea poor woman with twelve daughters.

"Are all these your daughters?" asked the king of the old woman, who was greatly surprised that a gentleman should deign to enter her poor hut.

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They are all mine," answered the old woman, sighing; "and I don't know what to do with them."

"As you are so poor," said the king, "I will take one of your daughters with me on my return."

Then the king gave the old woman a piece of gold money, and, wishing her heaven's blessing, departed.

The woman became a little easier in her mind on the receipt of this present; but not so her daughters. They were all well-conducted and obedient children; but when a fine gentleman comes and asks to take one of them. away for his wife, of course!-it is no trifling matter. They began to discuss the question together, and each claimed the strange gentleman for herself. At length, as after a long dispute they could not agree who was the most eligible, the eldest sister said,—

"I am the eldest, and according to custom I ought to be married first."

"That's of no consequence," cried the second sister; "the gentleman may pay little respect for custom, and choose any one of us he likes best.".

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Certainly," concurred the third sister, "such gentlemen don't care much for custom. What do you say, sisters?"

"No, no; of course not!" they all cried, with the exception of the eldest-and the youngest, who was but five years old, and the most beautiful of them all.

Then the mother came among her daughters, and sent them to their work. The girls set to work, but some

how 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.

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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.

"I have brought you a sister," said the king to his sons, when he reached home The princes came running round their new sister and smothered her with kisses. From that moment Libena was regarded by every one in the palace as a princess. It was only the servant who had travelled with the king about the country who knew it was not so.

Libena grew more beautiful every day, and the princes came to love her more and more; even the queen herself loved her as much as if she had been her own daughter. Among the servants, however, Libena came in the course of time to be looked upon with contempt, because the first one who knew of her place of birth told it to his friend, he to another, and so on, until the whole story was well known to every servant in the palace. The princes alone knew nothing of Libena's origin, although they had grown up to be young men. They, indeed, had no thought on the matter. They were greatly attached to their supposed sister, were always in her company, did whatever she asked of them, and would willingly have died for her sake. One day the youngest prince ordered the coachman to get the carriage ready, as the princess wished to take a short drive. The servant turned towards the stable to do what he was told, and thinking the prince was already out of hearing, grumbled to himself,

"What a fuss they do make with that bought girl!— just as if she were a princess!"

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What did you say?" cried the prince, seizing the coachman by the arm. "Is Libena not our sister?"

The coachman was frightened; after a moment's hesitation he mumbled that he did not say anything.

"You did," said the prince. "If you do not tell me what it was, I will complain to my father."

"I only said," apologised the coachman, "what the other servants have told me that his majesty bought the Princess Libena at some village."

Upon hearing this the prince went immediately to seek his brothers.

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Brothers!" he exclaimed with great joy, "I have just heard that Libena is not our sister."

“Then I shall take her for my wife," cried the eldest brother.

"No! I shall take her. I shall take her!" cried the other brothers.

"I am the eldest, and have the greatest right to her," continued the eldest prince. "I will go at once and ask father to give her to me for my wife."

He then went to the king, and his brothers followed him. The king and the queen were much surprised when their sons told them, with great delight, how they had heard that Libena was not their sister.