ABSTRACT
Once upon a time there was a king who had three beautiful daughters and one son. When he felt that he was about to die, he called his son to him and said, “My son, I’m going to die, and you’ll become king and must take charge of your three sisters. Take care of them and listen to what I have to say. There is a carnation bush on the terrace that will sprout three buds. Pay attention to when the first bud opens. You are to give your oldest sister to the first man who walks by. You are to do this also with your second and third sisters and marry them off to the first men who come by when the buds open.”
