ðə twˈɛlv dˈænsɪŋ pɹˈɪnsɛsᵻz ɪz ɐ səbvˈɜːʒən; ɪn mˈoʊst vˈɜːʒənz ðə hˈiəɹoʊ tʃˈuːzᵻz tə wˈɛd ðɪ ˈɛldɪst pɹˈɪnsɛs wˌaɪl ðə jˈʌŋɡɪst ʌvðə twˈɛlv dˈɔːɾɚz wʌzðɪ ˈoʊnli wˈʌn tə ɹˈiːəlaɪz ʃiː ænd hɜː sˈɪstɚz wɜː bˌiːɪŋ fˈɑːloʊd dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðɛɹ nˈaɪtli vˈɛntʃɚz.
The Twelve Dancing Princesses is a subversion; in most versions the hero chooses to wed the eldest princess while the youngest of the twelve daughters was the only one to realize she and her sisters were being followed during their nightly ventures.