THE SWINEHERD [1]
and ask him how much the instrument is."
One of the ladies had to go and ask; but she put on pattens.
"What will you take for your pot?" asked the lady.
"I will have ten kisses from the princess," said the swineherd.
"God forbid," said the lady.
"Well, I cannot sell it for less," replied the swineherd.
"What did he say?" said the princess.
I really cannot tell you," replied the lady.
"You can whisper it into my ear."
"It is very naughty," said the princess, and walked off.
But when she had gone a little distance, the bells rang again so
sweetly:
"A jolly old sow once lived in a sty,
Three little piggies had she," &c.
"Ask him," said the princess, "if he will be satisfied with ten
kisses from one of my ladies."
"No, thank you," said the swineherd: "ten kisses from the
princess, or I keep my pot."
"That is tiresome," said the princess. "But you must stand
before me, so that nobody can see it."
The ladies placed themselves in front of her and spread out
their dresses, and she gave the swineherd ten kisses and received
the pot.
That was a pleasure! Day and night the water in the pot was
boiling; there was not a single fire in the whole town of which they
did not know what was preparing on it, the chamberlain's as well as
the shoemaker's. The ladies danced and clapped their hands for joy.
"We know who will eat soup and pancakes; we know who will eat
porridge and cutlets; oh, how interesting!"
"Very interesting, indeed," said the mistress of the household.
"But you must not betray me, for I am the emperor's daughter."
"Of course not," they all said.
The swineherd- that is to say, the prince- but they did not know
otherwise than that he was a real swineherd- did not waste a single
day without doing something; he made a rattle, which, when turned
quickly round, played all the waltzes, galops, and polkas known
since the creation of the world.
"But that is superbe," said the princess passing by. "I have never
heard a more beautiful composition. Go down and ask him what the
instrument costs; but I shall not kiss him again."
"He will have a hundred kisses from the princess," said the
lady, who had gone down to ask him.
"I believe he is mad," said the princess, and walked off, but soon
she stopped. "One must encourage art," she said. "I am the emperor's
daughter! Tell him I will give him ten kisses, as I did the other day;
the remainder one of my ladies can give him.
"But we do not like to kiss him" said the ladies.
"That is nonsense," said the princess; "if I can kiss him, you can
also do it. Remember that I give you food and employment." And the
lady had to go down once more.
"A hundred kisses from the princess," said the swineherd, "or
everybody keeps his own."
"Place yourselves before me," said the princess then. They did
as they were bidden, and the princess kissed him.
"I wonder what that crowd near the pigsty means!" said the
emperor, who had just come out on his balcony. He rubbed his eyes
and put his spectacles on.
"The ladies of the court are up to some mischief, I think. I shall
have to go down and see." He pulled up his shoes, for they were down
at the heels, and he was very quick about it. When he had come down
into the courtyard he walked quite softly, and the ladies were so
busily engaged in counting the kisses, that all should be fair, that
they did not notice the emperor. He raised himself on tiptoe.
"What does this mean?" he said, when he saw that his daughter
was kissing the swineherd, and then hit their heads with his shoe just
as the swineherd received the sixty-eighth kiss.
"Go out of my sight," said the emperor, for he was very angry; and
both the princess and the swineherd were banished from the empire.
There she stood and cried, the swineherd scolded her, and the rain
came down in torrents.
"Alas, unfortunate creature
One of the ladies had to go and ask; but she put on pattens.
"What will you take for your pot?" asked the lady.
"I will have ten kisses from the princess," said the swineherd.
"God forbid," said the lady.
"Well, I cannot sell it for less," replied the swineherd.
"What did he say?" said the princess.
I really cannot tell you," replied the lady.
"You can whisper it into my ear."
"It is very naughty," said the princess, and walked off.
But when she had gone a little distance, the bells rang again so
sweetly:
"A jolly old sow once lived in a sty,
Three little piggies had she," &c.
"Ask him," said the princess, "if he will be satisfied with ten
kisses from one of my ladies."
"No, thank you," said the swineherd: "ten kisses from the
princess, or I keep my pot."
"That is tiresome," said the princess. "But you must stand
before me, so that nobody can see it."
The ladies placed themselves in front of her and spread out
their dresses, and she gave the swineherd ten kisses and received
the pot.
That was a pleasure! Day and night the water in the pot was
boiling; there was not a single fire in the whole town of which they
did not know what was preparing on it, the chamberlain's as well as
the shoemaker's. The ladies danced and clapped their hands for joy.
"We know who will eat soup and pancakes; we know who will eat
porridge and cutlets; oh, how interesting!"
"Very interesting, indeed," said the mistress of the household.
"But you must not betray me, for I am the emperor's daughter."
"Of course not," they all said.
The swineherd- that is to say, the prince- but they did not know
otherwise than that he was a real swineherd- did not waste a single
day without doing something; he made a rattle, which, when turned
quickly round, played all the waltzes, galops, and polkas known
since the creation of the world.
"But that is superbe," said the princess passing by. "I have never
heard a more beautiful composition. Go down and ask him what the
instrument costs; but I shall not kiss him again."
"He will have a hundred kisses from the princess," said the
lady, who had gone down to ask him.
"I believe he is mad," said the princess, and walked off, but soon
she stopped. "One must encourage art," she said. "I am the emperor's
daughter! Tell him I will give him ten kisses, as I did the other day;
the remainder one of my ladies can give him.
"But we do not like to kiss him" said the ladies.
"That is nonsense," said the princess; "if I can kiss him, you can
also do it. Remember that I give you food and employment." And the
lady had to go down once more.
"A hundred kisses from the princess," said the swineherd, "or
everybody keeps his own."
"Place yourselves before me," said the princess then. They did
as they were bidden, and the princess kissed him.
"I wonder what that crowd near the pigsty means!" said the
emperor, who had just come out on his balcony. He rubbed his eyes
and put his spectacles on.
"The ladies of the court are up to some mischief, I think. I shall
have to go down and see." He pulled up his shoes, for they were down
at the heels, and he was very quick about it. When he had come down
into the courtyard he walked quite softly, and the ladies were so
busily engaged in counting the kisses, that all should be fair, that
they did not notice the emperor. He raised himself on tiptoe.
"What does this mean?" he said, when he saw that his daughter
was kissing the swineherd, and then hit their heads with his shoe just
as the swineherd received the sixty-eighth kiss.
"Go out of my sight," said the emperor, for he was very angry; and
both the princess and the swineherd were banished from the empire.
There she stood and cried, the swineherd scolded her, and the rain
came down in torrents.
"Alas, unfortunate creature