King Thrushbeard

King Thrushbeard (German: König Drosselbart), also known as The Haughty Princess (German: die hochmütige Prinzessin), is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, listed as number 52 in their Kinder- und Hausmärchen. It is categorized as Aarne–Thompson type 900.

The story first appeared in the 1812 edition of the Grimms' collection and was revised slightly for the 1819 edition. The Grimms drew this tale from the Hassenpflug family of Hanau, with additional contributions from Ludowine Haxthausen and Dorothea Wild, who would later become Wilhelm Grimm’s wife.

The tale begins with a proud and beautiful princess, daughter of an old king. Despite the many noble suitors who come seeking her hand, the princess is so vain and haughty that she mocks each one. Among them is a young king whose chin is so sharply pointed that she mockingly names him "King Thrushbeard."

Angered by his daughter’s arrogance, the king declares that she will marry the very next man who approaches the palace, no matter his status. Soon after, a wandering minstrel appears and plays music for the king. True to his word, the king has them married on the spot, despite the princess’s protests. Afterward, he banishes her from the palace, as she is now the wife of a poor man.

The minstrel takes her through lands and estates that, unbeknownst to her, all belong to King Thrushbeard. As she sees the splendor she once scorned, regret begins to take root. The minstrel’s home turns out to be a humble cottage. He expects her to work like any peasant wife, but she fails at every task: she cannot sweep, weave baskets, or spin cotton. Finally, she is sent to sell pottery in the market, but a drunken soldier rides through and smashes it all.

Frustrated, the minstrel announces that her only option is to work as a servant at the palace of King Thrushbeard. She accepts the job and becomes a kitchen maid, hiding food scraps in her apron pockets to bring home and share with her husband.

Eventually, she hears that King Thrushbeard is to be married. She secretly watches the festivities, full of sorrow and self-reproach. When she is suddenly pulled into a dance with the king, her hidden jars of food fall to the ground, spilling everywhere and drawing laughter from the crowd. Humiliated, she flees the scene.

To her astonishment, the king follows her and reveals the truth: he is both King Thrushbeard and the minstrel. Everything had been a carefully staged lesson to humble her and show her the pain her arrogance once caused. Even the drunken soldier who ruined her pottery had been part of the ruse.

Moved and remorseful, the princess admits she has truly changed. They marry again, this time with her father present, and live happily ever after.