TheSwineherd——thatistosay，thePrincethoughtheydidnotknowhewasanythingbutatrueSwineherd——letnodaypasswithoutmakingsomething，andonedayhemadearattlewhich，whenitwasturnedround，playedallthewaltzes，galops，andpolkaswhichhadeverbeenknownsincetheworldbegan。
’Butthatissuperbe！’saidthePrincessasshepassedby。’I
haveneverheardamorebeautifulcomposition。Listen！Godownandaskhimwhatthisinstrumentcosts；butIwon’tkisshimagain。’
’HewantsahundredkissesfromthePrincess，’saidthelady-in-waitingwhohadgonedowntoaskhim。
’Ibelieveheismad！’saidthePrincess，andthenshewenton；
butshehadonlygoneafewstepswhenshestopped。
’Oneoughttoencourageart，’shesaid。’IamtheEmperor’sdaughter！Tellhimheshallhave，asbefore，tenkisses；theresthecantakefrommyladies-in-waiting。’
’Butwedon’tatalllikebeingkissedbyhim，’saidtheladies-in-waiting。
’That’snonsense，’saidthePrincess；’andifIcankisshim，youcantoo。Besides，rememberthatIgiveyouboardandlodging。’
Sotheladies-in-waitinghadtogodowntohimagain。
’AhundredkissesfromthePrincess，’saidhe，’oreachkeepshisown。’
’Putyourselvesinfrontofus，’shesaidthen；andsoalltheladies-in-waitingputthemselvesinfront，andhebegantokissthePrincess。
’Whatcanthatcommotionbebythepigsties？’askedtheEmperor，whowasstandingonthebalcony。Herubbedhiseyesandputonhisspectacles。’Whythosearetheladies-in-waitingplayingtheirgames；Imustgodowntothem。’
Sohetookoffhisshoes，whichwereshoesthoughhehadtroddenthemdownintoslippers。Whatahurryhewasin，tobesure！
Assoonashecameintotheyardhewalkedverysoftly，andtheladies-in-waitingweresobusycountingthekissesandseeingfairplaythattheynevernoticedtheEmperor。Hestoodontiptoe。
’Whatisthat？’hesaid，whenhesawthekissing；andthenhethrewoneofhisslippersattheirheadsjustastheSwineherdwastakinghiseighty-sixthkiss。
’Beoffwithyou！’saidtheEmperor，forhewasveryangry。AndthePrincessandtheSwineherdweredrivenoutoftheempire。
Thenshestoodstillandwept；theSwineherdwasscolding，andtherainwasstreamingdown。
’Alas，whatanunhappycreatureIam！’sobbedthePrincess。
’IfonlyIhadtakenthebeautifulPrince！Alas，howunfortunateIam！’
AndtheSwineherdwentbehindatree，washedtheblackandbrownoffhisface，threwawayhisoldclothes，andthensteppedforwardinhissplendiddress，lookingsobeautifulthatthePrincesswasobligedtocourtesy。
’Inowcometothis。Idespiseyou！’hesaid。’YouwouldhavenothingtodowithanoblePrince；youdidnotunderstandtheroseorthenightingale，butyoucouldkisstheSwineherdforthesakeofatoy。Thisiswhatyougetforit！’Andhewentintohiskingdomandshutthedoorinherface，andshehadtostayoutsidesinging——
’Where’smyAugustusdear？
Alas！he’snothere，here，here！
HOWTOTELLATRUEPRINCESS
TherewasonceuponatimeaPrincewhowantedtomarryaPrincess，butshemustbeatruePrincess。Sohetravelledthroughthewholeworldtofindone，buttherewasalwayssomethingagainsteach。TherewereplentyofPrincesses，buthecouldnotfindoutiftheyweretruePrincesses。Ineverycasetherewassomelittledefect，whichshowedthegenuinearticlewasnotyetfound。Sohecamehomeagaininverylowspirits，forhehadwantedverymuchtohaveatruePrincess。Onenighttherewasadreadfulstorm；itthunderedandlightenedandtherainstreameddownintorrents。Itwasfearful！TherewasaknockingheardatthePalacegate，andtheoldKingwenttoopenit。
TherestoodaPrincessoutsidethegate；butoh，inwhatasadplightshewasfromtherainandthestorm！Thewaterwasrunningdownfromherhairandherdressintothepointsofhershoesandoutattheheelsagain。AndyetshesaidshewasatruePrincess！
’Well，weshallsoonfindthat！’thoughttheoldQueen。Butshesaidnothing，andwentintothesleeping-room，tookoffallthebed-clothes，andlaidapeaonthebottomofthebed。Thensheputtwentymattressesontopofthepea，andtwentyeider-downquiltsonthetopofthemattresses。AndthiswasthebedinwhichthePrincesswastosleep。
Thenextmorningshewasaskedhowshehadslept。
’Oh，verybadly！’saidthePrincess。’Iscarcelyclosedmyeyesallnight！IamsureIdon’tknowwhatwasinthebed。Ilaidonsomethingsohardthatmywholebodyisblackandblue。Itisdreadful！’
NowtheyperceivedthatshewasatruePrincess，becauseshehadfeltthepeathroughthetwentymattressesandthetwentyeider-downquilts。
NoonebutatruePrincesscouldbesosensitive。
SothePrincemarriedher，fornowheknewthatatlasthehadgotholdofatruePrincess。AndthepeawasputintotheRoyalMuseum，whereitisstilltobeseenifnoonehasstolenit。
Nowthisisatruestory。
THEBLUEMOUNTAINS
TherewereonceaScotsmanandanEnglishmanandanIrishmanservinginthearmytogether，whotookitintotheirheadstorunawayonthefirstopportunitytheycouldget。Thechancecameandtheytookit。Theywentontravellingfortwodaysthroughagreatforest，withoutfoodordrink，andwithoutcomingacrossasinglehouse，andeverynighttheyhadtoclimbupintothetreesthroughfearofthewildbeaststhatwereinthewood。OnthesecondmorningtheScotsmansawfromthetopofhistreeagreatcastlefaraway。Hesaidtohimselfthathewouldcertainlydieifhestayedintheforestwithoutanythingtoeatbuttherootsofgrass，whichwouldnotkeephimaliveverylong。Assoon，then，ashegotdownoutofthetreehesetofftowardsthecastle，withoutsomuchastellinghiscompanionsthathehadseenitatall；perhapsthehungerandwanttheyhadsufferedhadchangedtheirnaturesomuchthattheonedidnotcarewhatbecameoftheotherifhecouldsavehimself。Hetravelledonmostoftheday，sothatitwasquitelatewhenhereachedthecastle，andtohisgreatdisappointmentfoundnothingbutcloseddoorsandnosmokerisingfromthechimneys。Hethoughttherewasnothingforitbuttodieafterall，andhadlaindownbesidethewall，whenheheardawindowbeingopenedhighabovehim。Atthishelookedup，andsawthemostbeautifulwomanhehadeverseteyeson。
’Oh，itisFortunethathassentyoutome，’hesaid。
’Itisindeed，’saidshe。’Whatareyouinneedof，orwhathassentyouhere？’
’Necessity，’saidhe。’Iamdyingforwantoffoodanddrink。’
’Comeinside，then，’shesaid；’thereisplentyofbothhere。’
Accordinglyhewentintowhereshewas，andsheopenedalargeroomforhim，wherehesawanumberofmenlyingasleep。Shethensetfoodbeforehim，andafterthatshowedhimtotheroomwheretheotherswere。Helaydownononeofthebedsandfellsoundasleep。Andnowwemustgobacktothetwothatheleftbehindhiminthewood。
Whennightfallandthetimeofthewildbeastscameuponthese，theEnglishmanhappenedtoclimbupintotheverysametreeonwhichtheScotsmanwaswhenhegotasightofthecastle；andassoonasthedaybegantodawnandtheEnglishmanlookedtothefourquartersofheaven，whatdidheseebutthecastletoo！OffhewentwithoutsayingawordtotheIrishman，andeverythinghappenedtohimjustasithaddonetotheScotsman。
ThepoorIrishmanwasnowleftallalone，anddidnotknowwheretheothershadgoneto，sohejuststayedwherehewas，verysadandmiserable。WhennightcameheclimbedupintothesametreeastheEnglishmanhadbeenonthenightbefore。Assoonasdaycamehealsosawthecastle，andsetouttowardsit；butwhenhereachedithecouldseenosignsoffireorlivingbeingaboutit。Beforelong，however，heheardthewindowopenedabovehishead，lookedup，andbeheldthemostbeautifulwomanhehadeverseen。Heaskedifshewouldgivehimfoodanddrink，andsheansweredkindlyandheartilythatshewould，ifhewouldonlycomeinside。Thishedidverywillingly，andshesetbeforehimfoodanddrinkthathehadneverseenthelikeofbefore。Intheroomtherewasabed，withdiamondringshangingateveryloopofthecurtains，andeverythingthatwasintheroombesidesastonishedhimsomuchthatheactuallyforgotthathewashungry。Whenshesawthathewasnoteatingatall，sheaskedhimwhathewantedyet，towhichherepliedthathewouldneithereatnordrinkuntilheknewwhoshewas，orwhereshecamefrom，orwhohadputherthere。
’Ishalltellyouthat，’saidshe。’IamanenchantedPrincess，andmyfatherhaspromisedthatthemanwhoreleasesmefromthespellshallhavethethirdofhiskingdomwhileheisalive，andthewholeofitafterheisdead，andmarrymeaswell。IfeverIsawamanwholookedlikelytodothis，youaretheone。I
havebeenhereforsixteenyearsnow，andnoonewhoevercametothecastlehasaskedmewhoIwas，exceptyourself。Everyothermanthathascome，solongasIhavebeenhere，liesasleepinthebigroomdownthere。’
’Tellme，then，’saidtheIrishman，’whatisthespellthathasbeenlaidonyou，andhowyoucanbefreedfromit。’
’Thereisalittleroomthere，’saidthePrincess，’andifI
couldgetamantostayinitfromteno’clocktillmidnightforthreenightsonendIshouldbefreedfromthespell。’