the swineherd

 

 

Tale by Hans Christian Andersen

Translation by Ruth Salles

Once upon a time there was a poor prince; he had a very small kingdom, but still big enough for him to marry. And getting married was what he wanted, it was even his greatest desire. But of course he would be very bold if he immediately asked the Emperor's daughter: "Will you marry me?" Well, that's exactly what he did.

His illustrious name was known far and wide, and there were hundreds of princesses who would say “yes” to him right away, happy as hell to come and live with him in his little kingdom.

And the Emperor's daughter? What did she answer? Well, that's what we're going to see now.

On the tomb of the prince's father, a rosebush grew, a wonderful rosebush. It only bloomed every five years, and even then it only gave one rose at a time. But it wasn't a rose like the others; it had such a sweet scent, it made people forget all their griefs and worries.

Besides the rose, the prince had a nightingale; a nightingale that sang so well, it was as if the most beautiful melodies lived in her small, delicate throat.

This rose and this nightingale the prince wished to give as a present to the princess; for this they were sent to her in two silver boxes. The Emperor ordered the boxes to be taken to the great hall, where the princess played with her bridesmaids. When she saw those boxes with the gifts, she clapped her hands for joy.

– Oh, how nice if I got a kitten! - she said.

But what came out of the first box was a beautiful, fragrant rose.

– Oh, what a neat little thing! – exclaimed all the bridesmaids.

– She is more than well made. It is fascinating! - said the Emperor.

The princess, however, touched the rose and soon began to cry:

– What a horrible thing, Daddy! It's not an artificial rose, it's for real! - she complained, annoyed, throwing the rose on the floor.

- What a horrible thing! It's a real rose! – also said all the bridesmaids. It's just that they thought a real rose was very unelegant and noble, as it is found everywhere. No one noticed her sweet scent, no one bent down to pick her up, and soon she was forgotten. Later, a palace servant threw it in the trash.

"Before we get angry, let's first check what came in the other box," said the Emperor. Carefully, the box was opened, and what appeared was the nightingale. Two pages had to bring a gold holder with a ring dangling from it, and one of them placed the bird on that golden ring. And, despite being very simple, without bright colors, his singing was so wonderful that no one could speak ill of him.

The bridesmaids listened, delighted, the Emperor put his hands on his chest, moved, and the princess sat down in an armchair without saying anything and paying close attention.

– Superb! Charming! – said the bridesmaids, for they all spoke French, each worse than the last.

By this they meant that the song of the bird was magnificent and fascinating. The nightingale's beautiful voice resounded throughout the castle, so that more and more listeners appeared: the master of ceremonies and the ministers, the Emperor's chamberlain and the princess's chambermaid.

– How this little bird reminds me of the music box of the late Empress! – said an old minister – Ah! The tone is the same, and the way of singing too!

"You are right," said the Emperor, crying like a child, as he began to think of his good wife, who had died a few years ago.

Suddenly the princess said:

– I have the impression that this little bird sings as if it were alive. Don't tell me it's a real bird!

The Emperor inquired of the messengers who had brought the two gifts, and they replied:

– Yes, it is a real bird.

"Then you can release him," said the princess, and did not allow the prince to come to the palace.

The servants had to open the window and let the bird fly out.

The bridesmaids also commented:

- This prince must be very rude to send a real rose and a live bird as a gift.

Despite everything, the prince was not discouraged. He painted his face brown, lowered his hat to his forehead and went to knock on the castle door. And it so happened that it was the Emperor himself who opened it; the prince took off his hat and said:

- Good morning, lord Emperor! Would it be possible for me to get a job at the castle?

– Yes – replied the Emperor – so many people come to ask for a job here… But I don't know if we have anything for you to do. I'll think… Oh, wait a minute! I remembered that I need someone to take care of the pigs, because our pigs are many.

And so the prince got a job as an imperial swineherd. They gave him a miserable little room beside the pigsty, and there he had to live; but all day he worked, and by nightfall he had made a little pot with merry bells hanging round it; and as soon as the pot boiled, the bells played the old tune:

“Oh, my Augustine, (“O du lieber Augustin,
you lost everything!” alles ist hin!”)

But the little pot could do a lot of other things, because it was no ordinary pot. Just by putting your finger on the smoke coming out of it, you knew what food was being prepared on every stove in the city. At the imperial tailor's house, sausages were eaten on a skewer; the court hunter's wife was roasting a partridge, which her husband had reserved for them after the last hunt; at the cobbler's house, potatoes were jumping in the water, and at the school teacher's house, as it was his birthday, a chicken was being stewed. And – check it out! – the beggar, who begged for alms in the castle every day, even had a succulent piece of meat in his soup and oatmeal for dessert. Well, the little pot was very different from the real rose and the live nightingale. Then, one day, when the princess happened to be strolling nearby with all her bridesmaids, she heard the music of the bells and stopped happily; is that she also knew how to play “Oh, my Augustine”. In fact, it was the only song she knew how to play, and even with one finger.

– This is the song I play! - She said - This swineherd must be polite. Go talk to him and ask him how much this instrument I want so badly to buy.

So one of the bridesmaids had to go to the pigsty, but she had to put on clogs, as the place was very muddy.

– How much do you want for the clique? the maid of honor asked, covering her nose and stepping on her toes.

"I want ten kisses from the princess," replied the young swineherd.

- God forbid! - Said the maid of honor, and almost fainted at the demand.

- At least I don't sell. She is no ordinary pot after all,” replied the swineherd.

The maid of honor went to where the others were, and the princess asked:

– What did he say?

“I can't even tell,” she replied.

- Well then, speak here in my ear!

When the princess learned what the swineherd wanted, she said:

– How shameless! What a naughty fellow! – and walked away from there.

But, it was just walking a little, that the bells rang:

“Oh my Augustine,
you lost everything!”

- Look - said the princess - go back there and ask if he accepts ten kisses from my bridesmaids.

- Thank you very much - replied the swineherd - I want ten kisses from the princess or no clique.

- It's very boring this coming and going! - Said the princess - You all stay then around me, so that no one sees.

So the bridesmaids made a circle stretching the ends of their dresses, and the swineherd got ten kisses, and the princess got the little pot.

It was a joy, just seeing it! All day the pot boiled; and they now knew what was being cooked on every stove in the city, whether in the chamberlain's house or in the cobbler's or tailor's house. The bridesmaids danced and clapped their hands, saying:

“We know who will have sweet soup and an omelet and who will have porridge and roast beef. What an interesting thing!

– Very interesting! - exclaimed the master of the room.

- Yes, but keep it a secret, for I am the Emperor's daughter.

- You can leave it, you can leave it! – they all said.

The swineherd, that is, the prince – only nobody knew he was the prince – didn't let a day go by without doing something, and this time he made a rattle. And just by turning the rattle she played all the waltzes and polkas in the world.

- How wonderful! – exclaimed the princess when she passed by – I never heard more beautiful music. Listen, go to the pigsty and ask the swineherd how much this instrument costs: only kisses I don't give anymore!

“He wants a hundred kisses from the princess in return,” said the maid of honor who had gone there to ask.

- I think he's gone crazy! - replied the princess, leaving there.

However, after walking for a while, he stopped.

– In the name of art, something must be done. After all, I am the Emperor's daughter! Say I'm going to give you ten kisses, like last time. The rest he can get from my bridesmaids.

– Ah, but we have no desire to do that! – said the bridesmaids.

– How sickening of you! – complained the princess – Well, if I can kiss, you can too. Besides, it is from me that you receive food and wages!

So, like it or not, the bridesmaids went back to the pigsty.

- A hundred kisses from the princess - replied the swineherd - otherwise each one gets what is his!

“Then all get in front of me,” she said.

The bridesmaids obeyed, and the swineherd won the princess's kisses.

– But what gathering is that over there in the pigsty? asked the Emperor, who had gone out onto the terrace.

He rubbed his eyes and put on his glasses.

-Yeah… It's the bridesmaids who make all this noise; I need to go see what's going on!

And… back and forth… there he went quite flustered.

As he got closer, he started walking very slowly. The bridesmaids were so busy counting kisses, so that it was honest business, they didn't even notice the Emperor.

- What's that? - he exclaimed, seeing the princess and the swineherd kissing.

Eighty-six kisses had already been exchanged, when the Emperor began to stamp the two on the head.

- Out of here! he shouted furiously.

And the princess and the swineherd were expelled from the kingdom. Outside, the princess was left crying, the swineherd complaining, while the biggest storm began to fall.

– Oh, oh! Poor me! – moaned the princess – If only I had married that handsome prince! Oh, how unhappy I am!

The swineherd then went behind a tree, wiped the brown paint off his face, got rid of the horrible rags he was wearing, and appeared dressed as a prince. It was so beautiful that the princess bowed respectfully.

— I only feel contempt for you — he said — for he did not want an honest prince, he did not accept the rose or the nightingale, but kissed a swineherd in exchange for a few toys; now, you got what you deserved!

So the prince left for his kingdom, and the princess could do nothing but sing:

“Oh my Augustine,
you lost everything!”

 

 

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