King Thrushbeard (Grimm)
Short summary
A medieval kingdom. A beautiful princess rejected and mocked all her suitors, including a good king whose crooked chin she compared to a thrush's beak, earning him the nickname King Thrushbeard.
Her father, angered by her arrogance, swore she would marry the first beggar who came. When a poor fiddler arrived, the king forced his daughter to marry him. The fiddler led her away on foot through forests, meadows, and towns that all belonged to King Thrushbeard.
She lived in poverty, failing at every task - weaving baskets, spinning, and selling pottery. She became a kitchen maid at the palace. At the eldest prince's wedding, King Thrushbeard seized her for a dance. Her pockets broke, spilling scraps everywhere. She fled in shame but was caught.
Do not be afraid, I and the fiddler who has been living with you in that wretched hovel are one. For love of you I disguised myself so.
King Thrushbeard revealed he was also the hussar who destroyed her pottery. He had humbled her pride to punish her mockery. She wept and admitted her wrongs. They celebrated their true wedding with her father's court in attendance.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
The proud princess and her rejections
A king organized a grand feast to find a suitable husband for his daughter. He invited eligible young men from far and near, arranging them in order of rank - kings, grand-dukes, princes, earls, barons, and gentry.
A King had a daughter who was beautiful beyond all measure, but so proud and haughty withal that no suitor was good enough for her. She sent away one after the other.
She ridiculed each suitor with cruel nicknames: one was too fat ("The wine-cask"), another too tall ("Long and thin has little in"), the third too short ("Short and thick is never quick"), the fourth too pale ("As pale as death"), the fifth too red ("A fighting-cock"), and the sixth not straight enough ("A green log dried behind the stove").
Punishment and marriage to the beggar
She particularly mocked a good king with a slightly crooked chin, laughing that he had "a chin like a thrush's beak," earning him the nickname King Thrushbeard.
But the old King... was very angry, and swore that she should have for her husband the very first beggar that came to his doors.
Soon after, a fiddler appeared beneath the windows, singing for alms. The king summoned him and, keeping his oath, gave him his daughter in marriage. A priest was brought immediately to perform the ceremony.
Life of poverty and failed attempts at work
The beggar-man led his new wife away on foot. During their journey, she repeatedly asked about the ownership of beautiful lands they passed - a forest, meadow, and town. Each time, her husband replied that they belonged to King Thrushbeard, and each time she lamented her foolish rejection of him.
Ah, unhappy girl that I am, if I had but taken King Thrushbeard!
They arrived at a miserable little hut where they would live together. The princess had to stoop to enter through the low door. There were no servants - she had to do all the work herself, including lighting fires and cooking, tasks she knew nothing about. The beggar-man had to help her accomplish even basic chores.
When their provisions ran out, the man tried to put his wife to work. First, she attempted to weave baskets from willows, but the tough branches wounded her delicate hands. Next, she tried spinning, but the hard thread cut her soft fingers until they bled. Both attempts failed completely.
The marketplace disaster
Finally, the husband decided she should sell pottery in the marketplace. Despite her shame at the thought of being recognized by people from her father's kingdom, she had no choice but to comply or starve. At first, she succeeded well because customers were attracted by her beauty and paid fair prices.
Her husband bought more crockery for her to sell. However, disaster struck when a drunken hussar came galloping through the marketplace and rode right through her pottery, smashing everything to pieces.
She wept in despair, fearing her husband's reaction to this misfortune. When she told him what happened, he scolded her for sitting at such a dangerous corner and announced he had found her work as a kitchen-maid at the king's palace.
Servant in the kings palace
As a kitchen-maid, she performed the dirtiest work under the cook's orders. She fastened small jars to her pockets to take home leftover food scraps, which became their only sustenance. When the king's eldest son's wedding was announced, she positioned herself by the hall door to watch the celebration.
When all the candles were lit... she thought of her lot with a sad heart, and cursed the pride and haughtiness which had humbled her and brought her to so great poverty.
Servants occasionally threw her food morsels, which she collected in her jars. The delicious smells from the feast reminded her of her former life and current misery.
The revelation and reconciliation
Suddenly, the king's son appeared in velvet and silk with gold chains. When he saw her, he seized her hand and tried to dance with her. She recognized him as King Thrushbeard and tried to flee in terror. As he drew her into the hall, her pocket strings broke, spilling soup and scraps everywhere, causing general laughter and mockery.
She tried to escape but was caught on the stairs by King Thrushbeard himself. He revealed that he, the fiddler, and the hussar were all the same person - he had disguised himself to humble her proud spirit and punish her insolence.
I have done great wrong, and am not worthy to be your wife.
Be comforted, the evil days are past; now we will celebrate our wedding.
Maids-in-waiting dressed her in splendid clothing, and her father arrived with his whole court to celebrate her marriage to King Thrushbeard. The joy and festivities began in earnest, marking the end of her trials and the beginning of their true union.