Hans Christian Andersens Fairy Tales | Page 6

with its beautiful rose
came to view.
"Oh, how prettily it is made!" said all the court ladies.
"It is more than pretty," said the Emperor, "it is charming!"
But the Princess touched it, and was almost ready to cry.
"Fie, papa!" said she. "It is not made at all, it is natural!"
"Let us see what is in the other casket, before we get into a bad humor," said the Emperor.
So the nightingale came forth and sang so delightfully that at first no one could say
anything ill-humored of her.
"Superbe! Charmant! exclaimed the ladies; for they all used to chatter French, each one
worse than her neighbor.
"How much the bird reminds me of the musical box that belonged to our blessed
Empress," said an old knight. "Oh yes! These are the same tones, the same execution."
"Yes! yes!" said the Emperor, and he wept like a child at the remembrance.
"I will still hope that it is not a real bird," said the Princess.
"Yes, it is a real bird," said those who had brought it. "Well then let the bird fly," said the
Princess; and she positively refused to see the Prince.
However, he was not to be discouraged; he daubed his face over brown and black; pulled
his cap over his ears, and knocked at the door.
"Good day to my lord, the Emperor!" said he. "Can I have employment at the palace?"
"Why, yes," said the Emperor. "I want some one to take care of the pigs, for we have a
great many of them."

So the Prince was appointed "Imperial Swineherd." He had a dirty little room close by the
pigsty; and there he sat the whole day, and worked. By the evening he had made a pretty
little kitchen-pot. Little bells were hung all round it; and when the pot was boiling, these
bells tinkled in the most charming manner, and played the old melody,
"Ach! du lieber Augustin, Alles ist weg, weg, weg!"*
* "Ah! dear Augustine! All is gone, gone, gone!"
But what was still more curious, whoever held his finger in the smoke of the kitchen-pot,
immediately smelt all the dishes that were cooking on every hearth in the city--this, you
see, was something quite different from the rose.
Now the Princess happened to walk that way; and when she heard the tune, she stood
quite still, and seemed pleased; for she could play "Lieber Augustine"; it was the only
piece she knew; and she played it with one finger.
"Why there is my piece," said the Princess. "That swineherd must certainly have been
well educated! Go in and ask him the price of the instrument."
So one of the court-ladies must run in; however, she drew on wooden slippers first.
"What will you take for the kitchen-pot?" said the lady.
"I will have ten kisses from the Princess," said the swineherd.
"Yes, indeed!" said the lady.
"I cannot sell it for less," rejoined the swineherd.
"He is an impudent fellow!" said the Princess, and she walked on; but when she had gone
a little way, the bells tinkled so prettily
"Ach! du lieber Augustin, Alles ist weg, weg, weg!"
"Stay," said the Princess. "Ask him if he will have ten kisses from the ladies of my
court."
"No, thank you!" said the swineherd. "Ten kisses from the Princess, or I keep the
kitchen-pot myself."
"That must not be, either!" said the Princess. "But do you all stand before me that no one
may see us."
And the court-ladies placed themselves in front of her, and spread out their dresses--the
swineherd got ten kisses, and the Princess--the kitchen-pot.
That was delightful! The pot was boiling the whole evening, and the whole of the
following day. They knew perfectly well what was cooking at every fire throughout the

city, from the chamberlain's to the cobbler's; the court-ladies danced and clapped their
hands.
"We know who has soup, and who has pancakes for dinner to-day, who has cutlets, and
who has eggs. How interesting!"
"Yes, but keep my secret, for I am an Emperor's daughter."
The swineherd--that is to say--the Prince, for no one knew that he was other than an
ill-favored swineherd, let not a day pass without working at something; he at last
constructed a rattle, which, when it was swung round, played all the waltzes and jig tunes,
which have ever been heard since the creation of the world.
"Ah, that is superbe!" said the Princess when she passed by. "I have never heard prettier
compositions! Go in and ask him the price of the instrument; but mind, he shall have no
more kisses!"
"He will have a hundred kisses from the Princess!" said the lady who had been to ask.
"I think he is not in his right