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Laideronette is the story of a little girl who is given the gift of perfect ugliness by a wicked fairy.

She was so ugly that nobody could bear to look at her. She lived almost alone in a remote castle. One day she was walking along the shore and a boat came near her (Apparently of its own accord). Curious she stepped into the boat and was swept out onto the water. The boat was swept onto the rocks, but Laideronette was saved by a green serpent. She slept and found herself in the finest castle you can imagine. The balcony overlooked a scene of every beauty imaginable. She saw 100 little idols, pagodas, robed and crafted in 100 different ways. They were made of diamonds, rubies, sapphire, gold, silver, wood, brass, clay, emeralds, pearls, crystal, coral, porcelain and iron.

She ended up marrying the king of the palace. And so became the empress of the pagodas. The music shows "little ugly" (Laideronette) listening to the music of the little pagodas.