A father asked his daughter how much she loved him, and when he did not undertand the reply turned her out of the house. Disguised in a cloak of rushes (earning the nickname Cap o’ Rushes), she went to work as a maid. Soon after her arrival, the son of the house fell for a mysterious beauty at a ball.

The son of the house, not knowing who his dance-partner was, gave her his ring to remember him by, and promptly pined himself into a decline. Taking pity, Cap o’ Rushes revealed herself to him by letting him discover the ring in his food and trace it back to her; and soon they were to be married.

At the wedding banquet, Cap o’ Roses had the cook prepare the meal without salt. When her father, who was a guest but did not recognise her, tasted the food he suddenly understood the enigmatic reply she had given him before, and wept over his foolishness. At that, his daughter revealed herself and embraced him, and it all ended happily.

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