Once, there was a king who had a very beautiful daughter. However, she was so proud and rude that no prince was good enough for her. She mocked everyone who came to ask for her hand in marriage.
The king held a great feast and invited all the suitors. They sat in a row, from kings to knights. The princess walked past them and had something mean to say about every one of them. One was too fat: "He's as round as a barrel!" she said. The next was too tall: "He looks like a tall pole!" Another was too short: "What a little dumpling!"
She laughed most of all at a good king who had a slightly crooked chin. "Look at him!" she cried. "His beard is like an old mop. Let's call him King Grisly-beard!"
The old king was very angry. He saw how badly his daughter treated the guests. He swore a vow: "You will marry the very first man who comes to my door, whether he is a prince or a beggar!"
Two days later, a traveling fiddler began playing music under the window. The king ordered his servants to bring the man inside. The fiddler was dirty and wore old clothes, but he sang beautifully. When he finished, the king said, "I like your song so much that I will give you my daughter as your wife."
The princess cried and begged, but the king said, "I gave my word. You must marry him."
After the wedding, the king said, "You cannot stay here. You must travel with your husband." The fiddler led her away on foot. Soon, they came to a huge forest. "Who owns this wood?" she asked.
"It belongs to King Grisly-beard," the fiddler answered. "If you had married him, it would be yours."
"Oh, what a fool I was!" she sighed.
They passed green meadows and a grand city. Each time, the answer was the same: they belonged to King Grisly-beard. Finally, they reached a tiny, dirty hut. "This is our home," said the fiddler.
The princess had no servants. she had to make the fire and cook the meals herself, but she didn't know how. The fiddler had to help her. After a few days, they ran out of food. "Wife," the man said, "we must earn money. Try to weave baskets."
She tried, but the hard wood cut her soft hands. Then she tried to spin wool, but the thread cut her fingers until they bled. "You are good for nothing," the husband said. "I will buy some pots and pans, and you can sell them at the market."
She was ashamed. "If the people from my father's court see me, they will laugh!" she thought. But she was hungry, so she went. At first, people bought her goods because she was so beautiful. But one day, a drunken soldier rode his horse through her stall and broke everything.
She ran home crying. The fiddler said, "I see you are not a good shopkeeper. I found a job for you at the king’s palace. You will be a kitchen-maid."
Now the princess had to do the dirtiest work in the kitchen. She carried home small scraps of leftover food in a basket so they could eat. One day, she heard that the king’s eldest son was getting married. She stood by the door to watch the celebration. She felt very sad about her pride and her past life.
Suddenly, the king’s son entered, dressed in gold. When he saw the beautiful woman, he grabbed her hand and asked her to dance. She was terrified because she recognized him—it was King Grisly-beard! As she tried to pull away, her basket fell, and the leftover meat spilled onto the floor. Everyone laughed at her.
She ran toward the door, but King Grisly-beard caught her. "Don't be afraid," he said kindly. "I am the fiddler who lived with you in the hut. I am also the soldier who broke your pots. I did all of this because I love you. I wanted to cure your pride."
The princess cried and said, "I have been very wrong. I am not worthy to be your wife."
But he kissed her and said, "That is all over now." Servants brought her beautiful clothes, and her father arrived to celebrate. There was a grand feast, and they lived happily ever after.