Then the husband bought a lot of new crockery.
With this she sat down at the corner of the market-place, and set it out round about her ready for sale. 

But suddenly there came a drunken hussar galloping along, and he rode right amongst the pots
so that they were all broken into a thousand bits.

She began to weep, and did now know what to do for fear.
"Alas! what will happen to me?" cried she; "what will my husband say to this?"

She ran home and told him of the misfortune.

"Who would seat herself at a corner of the market-place with crockery?" said the man;
"leave off crying, I see very well that you cannot do any ordinary work,
so I have been to our King's palace and have asked whether they cannot find a place for a kitchen-maid,
and they have promised me to take you; in that way you will get your food for nothing."

The king's daughter was now a kitchen-maid,
and had to be at the cook's beck and call, and do the dirtiest work. 

In both her pockets she fastened a little jar,
in which she took home her share of the leavings, and on this they lived.

It happened that the wedding of the king's eldest son was to be celebrated,
so the poor woman went up and placed herself by the door of the hall to look on. 

When all the candles were lit, and people entered, each more beautiful than the other,entered,
and all was full of pomp and splendor, she thought of her lot with a sad heart,
 and cursed the pride and haughtiness which had humbled her and brought her to so great poverty.

The smell of the delicious dishes which were being taken in and out reached her,
and now and then the servants threw her a few morsels of them:
these she put in her jars to take home.

All at once the king's son entered, clothed in velvet and silk, with gold chains about his neck.
And when he saw the beautiful woman standing by the door he seized her by the hand,
and would have danced with her; but she refused and shrank with fear,
for she saw that it was King Thrushbeard, her suitor whom she had driven away with scorn. 

Her struggles were of no avail, he drew her into the hall;
but the string by which her pockets were hung broke,
the pots fell down, the soup ran out, and the scraps were scattered all about.

And when the people saw it, there arose general laughter and derision,
and she was so ashamed that she would rather have been a thousand fathoms below the ground.
She sprang to the door and would have run away, but on the stairs a man caught her and brought her back;
and when she looked at him it was King Thrushbeard again. 

He said to her kindly, "Do not be afraid, I and the fiddler, who has been living with you in that wretched hovel are one.
For love of you I disguised myself so; and I also was the hussar who rode through your crockery.
This was all done to humble your proud spirit,
and to punish you for the insolence with which you mocked me."

Then she wept bitterly and said, "I have done great wrong, and am not worthy to be your wife."
But he said, "Be comforted, the evil days are past; now we will celebrate our wedding."

Then the maids-in-waiting came and put on her the most splendid clothing,
and her father and his whole court came
and wished her happiness in her marriage with King Thrushbeard,
and the joy now began in earnest. 

I wish you and I had been there too.

The End