FOR CHILDREN

Dover Publications, Inc.

King Thrushbeard

N A DISTANT KINGDOM, years ago,

I there lived a king with an arrogant and

haughty daughter. When it came time for the
princess to marry, the king held a banquet to
which he invited many eligible young
princes. The princess scorned them all, especially
one she named King Thrushbeard, for his pointed
beard reminded her of the beak of a thrush.
Soon after, the king lost his patience with his
daughter. A beggar was passing the castle and, in a
fit of temper, the king gave the princess to him as
his wife. The princess screamed and cried, but to
no avail. The beggar grasped her firmly by the
hand and took her home with him. On the way,
they passed a fine city. “Whose city is this?” asked
the princess. “It is King Thrushbeard’s, and might
have been yours,” said the beggar, and the princess
dropped a tear. Later they passed a fine forest. Rendering by Ed Sibbett, Jr. of illustration by Arthur Rackham

“Whose forest is this?” asked the princess. “It is The Beggar leads the Princess to his hovel
King Thrushbeard’s, and might have been yours,”
replied the beggar, and the princess dropped a tear. pots which she hid in her dress and took home to
Finally they came to a dreadful little hovel. feed herself and her beggar husband. This was the
“Whose wretched hovel is this?” asked the only way the two of them were able to survive.
princess. “It is mine, and you will live in it with One day, as she was about to return to her hovel at
me,” said the beggar, pushing her inside. the end of the day’s work, she heard the sound of
Life was hard for the princess. Not only did she music and laughter coming from the great hall of
have to do all the household tasks, but because of the castle. Quietly she crept upstairs to see what was
their great poverty, she also had to try to make happening. A great feast was being given to celebrate
some extra money. Her fingers were too delicate to the marriage of the eldest princess. The hall was
weave baskets. She had not the skill to make pot- bright, and filled with nobles in rich silks, gleam-
tery. So the beggar got her a position as kitchen ing gold and flashing jewels. Hiding behind a cur-
maid at the castle, where she had to do all the dirty tain, the princess watched and wept, thinking of how
work. Occasionally scraps from the table were her proud nature had brought her to such a sad state.
tossed her way. These she would store in little iron Suddenly a prince, who seemed to the princess

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 the most handsome man she had ever seen, noticed ter was about to be married, and gave her permis-
her hiding behind the curtain. He went to her, and sion to visit home if she so wanted. The maid
told her that he wanted to dance with her. Great refused, unless the lion would come with her. He
was the princess’s embarrassment when she saw told her that he dared not, for were a single ray of
that he was none other than King Thrushbeard! But light to touch him, he would turn into a dove and
he did not seem to recognize her. As she danced be forced to fly about the world for seven years.
with him, the iron pots fell from her ragged dress The maid promised she would protect him from
and clanged against the floor, spilling food all the light.
over. Everyone laughed at her. The princess wept The lion went to the wedding feast, but, as fate
with humiliation, and tried to run away. But the would have it, even though the maid tried to shield
guards caught her as she ran down the stairs, and him from the light, a beam touched him. He turned
brought her back to King Thrushbeard. into a dove and flew away. For seven years the
“Do not be afraid,” he told her, “for I and the maid endured great hardship trying to find him.
beggar whom you married are the same person. Then she found that, human again, he had married
Out of love for you I put on the disguise to teach an evil princess, who had taken his memory from
you humility. You have learned your lesson.” The him. She went to the princess, who envied the
weeping princess sobbed, “I am unworthy to be maid’s gown, which had been given to her by the
your wife.” But King Thrushbeard kissed her, sun during her wanderings. The princess asked the
dried her tears, and the two lived in great happi- maid if she would sell it. The maid said she would
ness. ❐ give it only if she were allowed to enter the
prince’s room that night. The bargain was struck,
The Lady and the Lion but the princess put a drug in his drink. When the
maid entered the prince’s room, she was unable to

O
NCE UPON A TIME there was a father rouse him.
who had three daughters. One day, before The next day the maid showed the princess three
he went on a trip, he asked them what pre- eggs which the moon had given her during her
sents they wanted him to bring back. The two elder wanderings. She broke them open and out ran
daughters wanted jewelry, which was simple three golden chicks. The princess wanted them,
enough for the father to get. But the youngest and the maid gave them on the condition that she
wanted a singing, soaring lark. Before his return, again be allowed into the prince’s room. But that
the father had bought the jewelry, but he had not night the prince did not drink the drug, so when the
found a lark. As he was passing through a dark for- maid was let into his chamber, he recognized her
est, he spied one in a tree, climbed up and caught and told her how he had been enslaved by the
it. At that very moment a lion, howling with rage, princess.
came bounding out. “How dare you take my lark,” Now the princess’s father was a powerful sor-
he roared. “Prepare to die!” The man begged to be cerer, so the prince and the maid quietly slipped
spared and the lion let him go, on the condition away from the palace. They mounted a griffin
that his youngest daughter be given to him. which bore them over the Red Sea. When the beast
When the man returned home, there was great became tired, the maid dropped a nut the night
wailing as he told his story. But the youngest wind had given her. At once a tall nut tree grew
daughter did not fear, and went alone into the for- from the water, and the griffin was able to rest in
est. There she was met by the lion, who took her to its branches for the night. In the morning he
his castle, where other lions dwelt. He was a prince returned the prince and the maid home safely, and
under a spell, and took his human form at night, as they lived in peace and contentment for the rest of
did his companions. The lion and the maid fell in their lives. ❐
love, and lived happily together. The foregoing two tales by the Brothers Grimm were adapt-
One day the lion told the maid that her eldest sis- ed by James Spero.

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