A princess was very beautiful but extremely arrogant.
Many suitors came to ask for her hand in marriage, but not only did she reject them, she also mocked and ridiculed them mercilessly.
One young king who was handsome but had a slightly hooked chin was nicknamed “King Thrushbeard” by her in mockery.
Her father, the king, was furious that his arrogant and inconsiderate daughter had insulted all the noble suitors from far and wide. In a fit of rage, he declared that he would marry her to a beggar.
The princess thought her father was merely speaking out of anger, but one day, the king summoned her, pointed to a beggar, and commanded that she marry him. Without further ado, the king drove both of them out of the palace.
In truth, the beggar was King Thrushbeard in disguise. He liked the princess, but she was too arrogant, so he discussed with the king and came up with this plan.
The princess had no choice but to follow the beggar to his shabby little house.
Gone were the splendor of the palace, the luxurious clothes and fine food, and the devoted servants. More crucially, there was no money!
They had to think about making a living, but the princess had no practical skills and could only sell pottery in the market.
As she feared, people recognized her and mocked her, and she finally realized how hurtful her past taunts had been to others.
She also had to haggle with common folk and face the harshness of life.
In addition, she also had to deal with unreasonable people. Once, a soldier on horseback charged through the market and shattered all her pottery. Before she could say anything, he berated her mercilessly, leaving her helpless and humiliated.
With the pottery business ruined, the princess had to work as a kitchen maid in the royal palace.
One day when she returned home, she saw a grand banquet being held in the palace hall, filled with elegantly dressed guests and the clinking of wine glasses.
She couldn’t help but feel sorrowful, remembering how she had once been among them, only to end up in her current plight because of her arrogance.
At that moment, someone approached her, and she recognized him as King Thrushbeard.
Embarrassed, she tried to run away, but he caught her and asked her to dance.
As she struggled, the scraps of leftover food she had hidden in her clothes spilled onto the floor.
All eyes turned to her, and someone recognized her.
“Isn’t that the proud princess? How did she end up reduced to eating scraps?”
“I heard she married a beggar!”
“Serves her right…”
She wished the ground would open up and swallow her.
She turned and ran toward the door, only to be stopped once more, again by King Thrushbeard.
Gently, he said, “Your beggar husband is me in disguise. I was also the soldier who smashed your pottery. I did all this to humble your pride and teach you the pain you inflicted on others.”
The princess wept and said, “I understand now…”
“It’s all in the past,” he said.
The princess and King Thrushbeard were married, and she became a kind, humble, and gracious queen, living a life of true happiness.
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