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The Swineherd
The Swineherd
[See The Swineherd: The poor prince kissed the princess by the swines.]
There was once a poor Prince; he had a kingdom that was very small; still
it was quite large enough to marry upon; and he wished to marry.
It was certainly rather cool of him to say to the Emperor`s daughter,
"Will you have me?" But so he did; for his name was renowned far and wide; and
there were a hundred Princesses who would have answered, "Thank you." But see
what she said. Now we will hear.
By the grave of the Prince`s father there grew a rose-tree, - a most
beautiful rose-tree; it blossomed only once in every five years, and even
then bore only one flower, but that was a rose that smelt so sweet as to make
one forget all cares and sorrows.
And furthermore, the Prince had a nightingale, who could sing in such a
manner that it seemed as though all sweet melodies dwelt in her little throat.
So the Princess was to have the rose and the nightingale; and they were
accordingly put into large silver caskets, and sent to her.
The Emperor had them brought into a large hall, where the Princess was
playing at "making calls," with the ladies of the court; they never did
anything else, and when she saw the caskets with the presents, she clapped her
hands for joy.
"Ah, if it were but a little pussy-cat!" exclaimed she; then out came
the beautiful rose.
"O, how prettily it is made!" said all the court-ladies.
"It is more than pretty," said the Emperor; "it is charming!"
But the Princess touched it and was almost ready to cry.
"Fie, papa!" said she, "it is not made at all; it is natural!"
"Fie!" cried all the court-ladies; "it is natural!"
"Let us see what is in the other casket, before we get into a bad humor,"
proposed the Emperor. So the Nightingale came forth, and sang so delightfully
that at first no one could say anything ill-humored of it.
"Superbe! charmant!" exclaimed the ladies; for they all used to chatter
French, each one worse than her neighbor.
"How much the bird reminds me of the musical box that belonged to our
blessed Empress!" remarked an old Knight. "Ah yes! it is the very same tone,
the same execution."
"Yes! yes!" said the Emperor, and he wept like a little child.
"I will still hope that it is not a real bird," said the Princess.
"Yet it is a real bird," said those who had brought it.
"Well, then let the bird fly," returned the Princess; and she positively
refused to see the Prince.
However, he was not to be discouraged; he daubed his face over brown and
black; pulled his cap over his ears, and knocked at the door.
"Good day, Emperor!" said he. "Can I have employment at the palace?"
"O there are so many that want a place!" said the Emperor; "well, let me
see, I want some one to take care of the pigs, for we have a great many of
them."
So the Prince was appointed "Imperial Swineherd." He had a dirty little
room close by the pig-sty; and there he sat the whole day, and worked. By
the evening, he had made a pretty little saucepan. Little bells were hung all
around it; and when the pot was boiling, these bells tinkled in the most
charming manner, and played the old melody: -
"Ah! thou dearest Augustine!
All is gone, gone, gone!"
But what was still more curious, whoever held his finger in the smoke of
this saucepan, immediately smelt all the dishes that were cooking on every
hearth in the city: this, you see, was something quite different from the
rose.
Now the Princess happened to walk that way; and when she heard the tune,
she stood quite still, and seemed pleased; for she could play "Dearest
Augustine;" it was the only piece she knew, and she played it with one finger.
"Why, there is my piece! "said the Princess; "that Swineherd must
certainly have been well educated! Here! Go in and ask him the price of the
instrument."
And so one of the court-ladies must run in; however, she drew on wooden
slippers first.
"What will you take for the saucepan?" inquired the lady.
"I will have ten kisses from the Princess," said the Swineherd.
"Mercy on us!" said the lady.
"Yes, I cannot sell it for less," said the swineherd.
"Well, what does he say?" asked the Princess.
"I cannot tell you really," replied the lady; "it is too bad!"
"Then you can whisper it!" So the lady whispered it.
"He is an impudent fellow!" said the Princess, and she walked on; but
when she had gone a little way, the bells tinkled so prettily, -
"Ah! thou dearest Augustine!
All is gone, gone, gone!"
"Stay," said the Princess. "Ask him if he will have ten kisses from the
ladies of my court."
"No, thank you!" answered the swineherd: "ten kisses from the Princess,
or I keep the saucepan myself."
"That must not be, either!" said the Princess; "but do you all stand
before me, that no one may see us."
And the court-ladies placed themselves in front of her, and spread out
their dresses, and so the Swineherd got ten kisses, and she got the saucepan.
It was delightful! the saucepan was kept boiling all the evening, and the
whole of the following day. They knew perfectly well what was cooking at every
fire throughout the city, from the chamberlain`s to the cobbler`s; the court -
ladies danced, and clapped their hands.
"We know who has soup and who has pancakes for dinner to-day, who has
cutlets, and who has eggs. How interesting!"
And "How interesting!" said the Lord Steward`s wife.
"Yes, but keep my secret, for I am an Emperor`s daughter."
"Mercy on us," said they all.
The Swineherd - that is to say the Prince, for no one knew that he was
other than an ill-favored swineherd - let not a day pass without working at
something; he at last constructed a rattle, which, when it was swung round,
layed all the waltzes and jig-tunes which have ever been heard since the
creation of the world.
"Ah, that is superbe!" said the Princess when she passed by; "I have
never heard prettier compositions! Go in and ask him the price of the
instrument; but I won`t kiss him!"
"He will have a hundred kisses from the Princess!" said the courtlady who
had been in to ask.
"I think he is crazy!" said the Princess, and walked on; but when she had
gone a little way, she stopped again. "One must encourage art," said she; "I
am the Emperor`s daughter. Tell him, he shall, as on yesterday, have ten
kisses from me, and may take the rest from the ladies of the court."
"O! but we should not like that at all!" said the court-ladies.
"What are you muttering?" asked the Princess; "if I can kiss him, surely
you can! Remember, I give you your food and wages." So the court-ladies were
obliged to go to him again.
"A hundred kisses from the Princess!" said he, "or else let every one
keep his own."
"Stand round!" said she; and all the ladies stood round her whilst the
kissing was going on.
"What can be the reason for such a crowd close by the pig-sty?" said
the Emperor, who happened just then to step out on the balcony. He rubbed his
eyes and put on his spectacles. "They are ladies of the court; there is some
play going on. I must go down and see what they are about!" So he pulled up
his slippers at the heel, for he had trodden them down.
Heh there! what a hurry he is in.
As soon as he had got into the court-yard, he moved very softly, and
the ladies were so much engrossed with counting the kisses, that all might go
on fairly, that they did not perceive the Emperor. He rose on his tiptoes.
"What is all this?" said he, when he saw what was going on, and he boxed
the Princess` ears with his slipper, just as the Swineherd was taking the
eighty-sixth kiss.
"Off with you!" cried the Emperor, for he was very angry; and both
Princess and Swineherd were thrust out of the city.
The Princess now stood and wept, the Swineherd scolded, and the rain
poured down.
"O how miserable I am!" said the Princess. "If I had but married the
handsome young Prince! Ah! how unfortunate I am!"
And the Swineherd went behind a tree, washed the black-and-brown
color from his face, threw off his dirty clothes, and stepped forth in his
princely robes; he looked so noble that the Princess could not help bowing
before him.
"I am come to despise thee," said he. "Thou wouldst not have an
honourable prince! thou couldst not prize the rose and the nightingale, but
thou wast ready to kiss the Swineherd for the sake of a trumpery plaything.
Now thou hast thy deserts!"
He then went back to his own little kingdom, and shut the door of his
palace in her face. Now she might well sing,
"Ah! thou dearest Augustine!
All is gone, gone, gone!"
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