ungest sister for spending her
time in reading, or other useful employments. As it was well known that
these young ladies would have large fortunes, many great merchants
wished to get them for wives; but the two eldest always answered that,
for their parts, they had no thoughts of marrying any one below a duke,
or an earl at least. Beauty had quite as many offers as her sisters, but
she always answered with the greatest civility, that she was much
obliged to her lovers, but would rather live some years longer with her
father, as she thought herself too young to marry.

It happened that by some unlucky accident the merchant suddenly lost all
his fortune, and had nothing left but a small cottage in the country.
Upon this, he said to his daughters, while the tears ran down his cheeks
all the time, "My children, we must now go and dwell in the cottage, and
try to get a living by labour, for we have no other means of support."
The two eldest replied that, for their parts, they did not know how to
work, and would not leave town; for they had lovers enough who would be
glad to marry them, though they had no longer any fortune. But in this
they were mistaken; for when the lovers heard what had happened, they
said, "The girls were so proud and ill-tempered, that all we wanted was
their fortune; we are not sorry at all to see their pride brought down.
Let them give themselves airs to their cows and sheep." But every body
pitied poor Beauty, because she was so sweet-tempered and kind to all
that knew her; and several gentlemen offered to marry her, though she
had not a penny; but Beauty still refused, and said she could not think
of leaving her poor father in this trouble and would go and help him in
his labours in the country. At first Beauty could not help sometimes
crying in secret for the hardships she was now obliged to suffer; but in
a very short time she said to herself, "All the crying in the world will
do me no good, so I will try to be happy without a fortune."

When they had removed to their cottage, the merchant and his three sons
employed themselves in ploughing and sowing the fields, and working in
the garden. Beauty also did her part, for she got up by four o'clock
every morning, lighted the fires, cleaned the house, and got the
breakfast for the whole family. At first she found all this very hard;
but she soon grew quite used to it, and thought it no hardship at all;
and indeed the work greatly amended her health.