The passage begins by telling us about a king in Greece who had daughters. It clearly states: "He had three lovely daughters." This is the direct piece of evidence that answers the question.
Step 1: Careful Reading of the Passage.
When attempting comprehension questions, it is important to first scan the passage for numerical details or names that directly match the question being asked. Here, the passage introduces the king and immediately mentions the number of daughters. It says that the king had three lovely daughters. This is a factual detail, not something implied, so it does not require interpretation.
Step 2: Understanding the Context.
The passage then describes each daughter’s beauty: the first was very beautiful, the second was even more beautiful than the first, and the third daughter, named Psyche, was the fairest of all. This description of their beauty further confirms that there were exactly three daughters, because all three are separately described.
Step 3: Logical Confirmation.
If the king had more or fewer than three daughters, the passage would have either mentioned additional children or stopped earlier. Since the story continues to focus on Psyche (the third daughter), it establishes that three is the final count. Thus, the number of daughters is neither two nor four, but exactly three.
Step 4: Final Answer.
Therefore, the king of Greece had three daughters.