King Thrushbeard
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series IV, Cycle A
Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. (v. 40)
A Brothers Grimm fairy tale tells of a king who had a beautiful daughter. However, she was also so proud and arrogant that she felt no suitor was good enough for her. Once the king made a great feast and invited all the young eligible bachelors from far and wide. They were all assembled in a row according to their rank and standing. Then the king's daughter was led through the ranks, but to every one she had some objection to make. One was too fat. Another was too tall. The third was too short. The fourth was too pale. The fifth too red. The sixth was not straight enough. So she had something rude to say against every one. She was particularly cruel to a good king whose chin had grown a little crooked. She laughed, "He has a chin like a thrush's beak!" and she nicknamed him King Thrushbeard.
Her father was not pleased that she did nothing but mock all the suitors. He was very angry, and swore to marry her to the first beggar that came to his doors. A few days later a fiddler dressed in dirty, ragged clothes came and sang beneath the palace windows. The king invited him into the palace where he sang before the king and his daughter. When he had ended, he took off his hat to collect a meager gift. The king said, "Your song has pleased me so well that I will give you my daughter to be your wife." The king's daughter shuddered, but the king said, "I have taken an oath, and I will keep it." The priest came, and immediately married them.
The king then sent his daughter away with her beggar husband. As they were walking, they came to a large forest and she asked, "To whom does that beautiful forest belong?" The beggar replied, "It belongs to King Thrushbeard; if you had taken him, it would have been yours." She suddenly regretted her rejection of King Thrushbeard.
Then they came to a meadow, and she asked, "To whom does this beautiful green meadow belong?" Her husband responded, "It belongs to King Thrushbeard; if you had taken him, it would have been yours." Again, she regretted rejecting Thrushbeard.
Next they came to a large town, and she asked again, "To whom does this fine large town belong?" The fiddler sang, "It belongs to King Thrushbeard; if you had taken him, it would have been yours." She was in misery.
Her misery only worsened when they arrived at a little hut. She said, "Oh, goodness! What a small house! To whom does this miserable, mean shack belong?" The fiddler answered, "That is my house and yours, where we shall live together."
She had to stoop to enter. Then she realized the reality of her new life. There were no servants. Not only did she have to do for herself, but also she had to do for her husband. After she cooked a sparse meal, with her husband teaching her, they went to bed. Her husband woke her early the next day to tend the house.
A few days later, they ran out of food, so the husband put his wife to work weaving baskets and spinning thread. Her hands were too delicate for such work. He then sent her to work selling pots and earthenware in the market place. She was very afraid of being seen and recognized by the people of her father's kingdom, but hunger drove her to comply. At first she succeeded. She was still beautiful, which attracted a crowd. However, one day, when she was selling a large amount of new crockery, a drunken cavalry man came galloping along and trampled the pots.
As a last resort, the husband sent her to his king's palace to work in the kitchen. She did the dirtiest work just to be paid in the scraps from the king's table. She had a little jar in her two pockets to keep the scraps.
Before long, the king's eldest son was celebrating his wedding. The former princess went to the hall catch a glimpse of her former life. The decorations and the people were all beautiful. She was saddened, and cursed the pride and arrogance that had tumbled her to poverty. She smelled the delicious dishes being served. She looked forward to eating the scraps from her take--home jars.
All at once the king's son entered, greatly adorned, wearing velvet, silk, and gold. It was King Thrushbeard, and when he saw the beautiful former princess standing by the door, he asked her to dance. She was afraid he would recognize her and tried to refuse. He insisted. As he led her, the string by which her pockets were hung broke. The jars fell down. The soup ran out, and the scraps were scattered all about. Everyone stared and laughed.
The princess was mortified, and she turned to run. But King Thrushbeard would not let her go. He said tenderly, "Do not be afraid, the fiddler who has been living with you in that wretched shanty and I are one. For love of you I disguised myself so; and I also was the cavalryman who rode through your crockery. This was all done to humble your proud spirit."
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. Her father and his whole court came and wished her happiness in her marriage with King Thrushbeard. True joy and happiness were finally discovered as they lived happily ever after.
A Brothers Grimm fairy tale tells of a king who had a beautiful daughter. However, she was also so proud and arrogant that she felt no suitor was good enough for her. Once the king made a great feast and invited all the young eligible bachelors from far and wide. They were all assembled in a row according to their rank and standing. Then the king's daughter was led through the ranks, but to every one she had some objection to make. One was too fat. Another was too tall. The third was too short. The fourth was too pale. The fifth too red. The sixth was not straight enough. So she had something rude to say against every one. She was particularly cruel to a good king whose chin had grown a little crooked. She laughed, "He has a chin like a thrush's beak!" and she nicknamed him King Thrushbeard.
Her father was not pleased that she did nothing but mock all the suitors. He was very angry, and swore to marry her to the first beggar that came to his doors. A few days later a fiddler dressed in dirty, ragged clothes came and sang beneath the palace windows. The king invited him into the palace where he sang before the king and his daughter. When he had ended, he took off his hat to collect a meager gift. The king said, "Your song has pleased me so well that I will give you my daughter to be your wife." The king's daughter shuddered, but the king said, "I have taken an oath, and I will keep it." The priest came, and immediately married them.
The king then sent his daughter away with her beggar husband. As they were walking, they came to a large forest and she asked, "To whom does that beautiful forest belong?" The beggar replied, "It belongs to King Thrushbeard; if you had taken him, it would have been yours." She suddenly regretted her rejection of King Thrushbeard.
Then they came to a meadow, and she asked, "To whom does this beautiful green meadow belong?" Her husband responded, "It belongs to King Thrushbeard; if you had taken him, it would have been yours." Again, she regretted rejecting Thrushbeard.
Next they came to a large town, and she asked again, "To whom does this fine large town belong?" The fiddler sang, "It belongs to King Thrushbeard; if you had taken him, it would have been yours." She was in misery.
Her misery only worsened when they arrived at a little hut. She said, "Oh, goodness! What a small house! To whom does this miserable, mean shack belong?" The fiddler answered, "That is my house and yours, where we shall live together."
She had to stoop to enter. Then she realized the reality of her new life. There were no servants. Not only did she have to do for herself, but also she had to do for her husband. After she cooked a sparse meal, with her husband teaching her, they went to bed. Her husband woke her early the next day to tend the house.
A few days later, they ran out of food, so the husband put his wife to work weaving baskets and spinning thread. Her hands were too delicate for such work. He then sent her to work selling pots and earthenware in the market place. She was very afraid of being seen and recognized by the people of her father's kingdom, but hunger drove her to comply. At first she succeeded. She was still beautiful, which attracted a crowd. However, one day, when she was selling a large amount of new crockery, a drunken cavalry man came galloping along and trampled the pots.
As a last resort, the husband sent her to his king's palace to work in the kitchen. She did the dirtiest work just to be paid in the scraps from the king's table. She had a little jar in her two pockets to keep the scraps.
Before long, the king's eldest son was celebrating his wedding. The former princess went to the hall catch a glimpse of her former life. The decorations and the people were all beautiful. She was saddened, and cursed the pride and arrogance that had tumbled her to poverty. She smelled the delicious dishes being served. She looked forward to eating the scraps from her take--home jars.
All at once the king's son entered, greatly adorned, wearing velvet, silk, and gold. It was King Thrushbeard, and when he saw the beautiful former princess standing by the door, he asked her to dance. She was afraid he would recognize her and tried to refuse. He insisted. As he led her, the string by which her pockets were hung broke. The jars fell down. The soup ran out, and the scraps were scattered all about. Everyone stared and laughed.
The princess was mortified, and she turned to run. But King Thrushbeard would not let her go. He said tenderly, "Do not be afraid, the fiddler who has been living with you in that wretched shanty and I are one. For love of you I disguised myself so; and I also was the cavalryman who rode through your crockery. This was all done to humble your proud spirit."
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. Her father and his whole court came and wished her happiness in her marriage with King Thrushbeard. True joy and happiness were finally discovered as they lived happily ever after.
