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THE SWINEHERD
There lived once a king’s son who had a small kingdom to rule over of his own, and very little money. Yet still it was large enough for him to have a wife, and he determined to make an offer to the daughter of an emperor of a neighbouring country.
Now it was really very bold of this poor young prince to go to the palace and say to the princess, “Will you have me?” Yet he was very well known for miles round, and there were a hundred princesses who would have said “Yes” to such a question.
But what did the emperor’s daughter say?—Well, we shall see by-and-by.
On the grave of the prince’s father grew a rose-tree of a most unusual kind, which bore flowers but once in five years; and then only one rose, and not even a single bud besides. But the fragrance of this one rose was so sweet that people who inhaled it forgot for the time all their cares and sorrows.
Besides this rose-tree the prince had a nightingale that sang so sweetly, it seemed as if all the loveliest melodies were seated in its throat. The rose and the nightingale were both intended for the princess whom the prince wished to marry, for the lady had not yet accepted his offer, and he hoped to gain her favour by presents.
The flower-tree and the bird were both packed carefully in large silver vases, and forwarded to the princess at the emperor’s palace. When they arrived the cases were brought into the great hall (where the princess was amusing herself with the court ladies) by the emperor’s orders, for he wished to see their contents, as the cases were addressed to the princess, who, when she saw them, clapped her hands with joy, exclaiming, “Oh, suppose there should be a little pussy-cat for me!”
But as she spoke one case was opened, and there appeared the beautiful rose-tree, with the sweetly scented rose.
“Oh, how pretty! and how well the rose is made,” exclaimed the maids of honour.
