King Thrushbeard

A beautiful princess was so proud that she rejected every suitor who came to court her. She mocked them cruelly—a king with a pointed chin she called 'Thrushbeard,' another with a broad forehead she compared to a basin. Her father, the king, grew angry at her behavior and swore she would marry the next beggar who came to the castle.

A minstrel appeared one day, ragged and poor. True to his word, the king gave his daughter to the beggar in marriage. The princess was horrified but had no choice. She was sent away from the castle, given only coarse clothing, and forced to work in her new husband's humble dwelling.

She spun thread, wove cloth, and sold pottery in the market, learning humility through hardship. Each task failed, and she grew poorer. In despair, she took a job as a kitchen maid in a great castle, unaware that the castle belonged to King Thrushbeard himself.

One day, the castle held a magnificent wedding. The princess, forced to serve, recognized the various suitors she had mocked—now dressed in fine clothes as guests. Among them was King Thrushbeard, looking grave and stern. The king noticed his former mocker and asked her to dance. She wept with shame.

At that moment, the minstrel—her husband—stepped forward and revealed himself as King Thrushbeard. The wedding was their own. He had taken the guise of a beggar to humble her proud spirit.

The princess, now truly humbled, accepted his hand with sincere gratitude. She ruled as a wise and modest queen, never again mocking those who sought her favor. Her pride had been her downfall, but in losing it, she found true happiness and worthy love.