King Thrushbeard
HERE was once a King who had a Daughter. She was more beautiful than words can tell, but at the same time so proud and haughty that no man who came to woo her was good enough for her. She turned away one after another, and even mocked them.
One day her father ordered a great feast to be given, and invited to it all the marriageable young men from far and near.
They were all placed in a row, according to their rank and position. First came Kings, then Princes, then Dukes, Earls, and Barons.
The Princess was led through the ranks, but she had some fault to find with all of them.
One was too stout. ‘That barrel!’ she said. The next was too tall. ‘Long and lean is no good!’ The third was too short. ‘Short and stout, can’t turn about!’ The fourth was too white. ‘Pale as death!’ The fifth was too red. ‘Turkey-cock!’ The sixth was not straight. ‘Oven-dried!’
So there was something against each of them. But she made specially merry over one good King, who stood quite at the head of the row, and whose chin was a little hooked.
‘Why!’ she cried, ‘he has a chin like the beak of a thrush.’
After that, he was always called ‘King Thrushbeard.’
When the old King saw that his Daughter only made fun of them, and despised all the suitors who were assembled, he was very angry, and swore that the first beggar who came to the door should be her husband.
A few days after, a wandering Musician began to sing at the window, hoping to receive charity.
When the King heard him, he said: ‘Let him be brought in.’
