the swineherd

by Hans Christian Andersen

translation by H .P .Paull (1872)

once upon a time lived a poor prince; his kingdom was very_small, but it_was large enough to enable him to marry, and marry he_would . it_was rather bold of him that he went and asked the emperor's daughter: " will_you marry me ? " but he ventured to_do_so, for_his name was known far and wide, and there were hundreds of princesses who_would_have gladly accepted him, but would she do_so ? now we_shall see .

on_the grave of_the prince's father grew a rose- tree, the most beautiful of_its kind . it bloomed only once in five years, and then it had only_one single rose upon it, but what a rose ! it had such a sweet scent that one instantly forgot all sorrow and grief when one smelt it . he had also a nightingale, which could sing as_if every sweet melody was in its throat . this rose and_the nightingale he_wished to_give to_the princess; and therefore both were put into big silver cases and sent to her .

the emperor ordered them to_be carried into_the great hall where the princess was just playing "Visitors are coming" with her ladies- in-waiting; when she saw the large cases with_the presents therein, she clapped her hands for joy .

" i_wish it were a little pussy cat," she said . but then the rose- tree with_the beautiful rose was unpacked .

"Oh, how nicely it_is made," exclaimed the ladies .

" it_is more than nice," said the emperor, " it_is charming ."

the princess touched it and nearly began to cry .

" for shame, pa," she said, " it_is_not artificial, it_is natural ! "

" for shame, it_is natural" repeated all her ladies .

" let_us first see what the other case contains before we_are angry," said the emperor; then the nightingale was taken out, and it sang so beautifully that no one could possibly say anything unkind about_it .

"Superbe, charmant," said the ladies of_the court, for they all prattled French, one worse than_the other .

" how_much the bird reminds me of_the musical box of_the late lamented empress," said an old courtier, " it has exactly the same tone, the same execution ."

" you_are right," said the emperor, and began to cry like a little child .

" I_hope it_is_not natural," said the princess .

" yes, certainly it_is natural," replied those who had brought the presents .

" then let it fly," said the princess, and refused to_see the prince .

but the prince was not discouraged . he painted his face, put on common clothes, pulled his cap over his forehead, and came back .

" good day, emperor," he_said, " could you not give_me some employment at_the court ? "

" there_are so_many," replied the emperor, " who apply for places, that for_the_present I_have no vacancy, but i_will remember you . but wait a moment; it just comes into my mind, I require somebody to look after my pigs, for I_have a great_many ."

thus the prince was appointed imperial swineherd, and as such he lived in a wretchedly small room near the pigsty; there he worked all day long, and when it_was night he had made a pretty little pot . there were little bells round the rim, and when_the water began to boil in_it, the bells began to play the old tune:

"A jolly old sow once lived in a sty, three little piggies had she," &c .

but what_was more wonderful was_that, when one put a finger into_the steam rising from_the pot, one could at once smell what meals they were preparing on every fire in_the whole town . that was indeed much more remarkable than_the rose . when_the princess with her ladies passed by and heard the tune, she stopped and looked quite pleased, for she also could play it- in_fact, it was_the only tune she_could play, and she played it with one finger .

" that_is_the tune I_know," she exclaimed ." he_must_be a well- educated swineherd . go 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 that I_am ! " said the princess, " i_wish I had accepted the prince .Oh, how wretched I_am ! "

the swineherd went behind a tree, wiped his face, threw off his poor attire and stepped forth in_his princely garments; he looked so beautiful that_the princess could_not help bowing to him .

" I_have now learnt to despise you," he_said ." you refused an honest prince; you_did_not appreciate the rose and_the nightingale; but you_did_not mind kissing a swineherd for_his toys; you_have no one but yourself to blame ! "

and then he returned into his kingdom and left her behind . she_could now sing at her leisure:

"A jolly old sow once lived in a sty, three little piggies has she," &c .

the end