Английские сказки для девочек / English Fairy Tales for Girls

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There was once a very rich merchant, who had six children, three sons, and three daughters. His daughters were extremely beautiful, especially the youngest. When she was little, everybody admired her and called her “the Little Beauty”; so that, as she grew up, she still went by the name of Beauty,[1] which made her sisters very jealous.

The youngest, as she was the most beautiful, was also better than her sisters. The two eldest had a great deal of pride, because they were rich. They went out every day to parties, balls, plays, concerts, and so forth, and they laughed at their youngest sister, because she spent the greatest part of her time in reading good books.

As it was known that they were great fortunes,[2] several eminent merchants proposed to them, but the two eldest said they would never marry unless they could meet with a duke, or an earl at least. Beauty very civilly thanked them that courted her and told them she was too young yet to marry, but chose to stay with her father a few years longer.

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