green fairy tale book

Chapter 27 The Dirty Shepherdess
Once upon a time there was a king who had two daughters whom he loved with all his heart.When they grew up, the king suddenly wanted to know whether they also loved him sincerely in their hearts.He decided which daughter would best demonstrate her love for him, and to whom he gave the inheritance of the kingdom.

So he called his eldest daughter and said to her, "How much do you love me?"

"Like a jewel in my palm!" she replied.

"Ah!" cried the king with relief, "you are a good daughter." And he kissed her tenderly.

Then he called his younger daughter, too, and he asked her how much she loved him.

"My father, I consider you," she answered, "as salt in my food."

But the king did not like her words, and he ordered the youngest daughter to leave his country and never appear in his presence.The poor little princess went back to her room and wept bitterly.But when she remembered her father's orders, she wiped away her tears, packed a bag of jewels and her best clothes, and hurried away from the castle where she had been born.

The little princess walked along the road in front of her, walking... she didn't know where she was going, and she didn't know what would happen to her.She had never been taught how to work, and she could only do simple chores, like how to recycle dishes, which her mother had taught her long ago.Fearing that no housewife would employ such a beautiful maiden, she resolved to make herself as ugly as possible.

She took off her gorgeous dress and put on some ragged clothes.These rags, which had belonged to a beggar, were worn in many places and covered with mud.She then smeared mud all over her face and hands and tousled her hair too.After the makeover, she looked around for a job herding geese or sheep.But the peasant women had nothing to say to such a dirty girl, but sent her away with a small piece of bread out of pity.

She walked for many, many days and was never able to find any work.At last she came to a large farm where a shepherdess was just in need, and they gladly hired her.

One day, she was tending sheep in a large open meadow, and she suddenly wanted to wear her beautiful clothes.She washed herself clean in a small river.Since she always carried the bag of jewelry and clothes with her, she took off her tattered clothes and became a graceful and luxurious girl in a short while.

In the country where the farm is located, there is a young prince who lost his way while hunting in this area, and happened to see this beautiful girl from a distance.He was deeply fascinated by the little princess's elegant demeanor, and wanted to get a closer look.But as soon as the princess saw what he was doing, she ran like a bird into the wood.The prince also chased after him.Seeing that he was getting closer and closer, he tripped over a tree root exposed on the ground.When he stood up again, there were lush trees in all directions, where was the shadow of the girl?
When the princess felt safe, she changed into her tattered dress again, and covered her face and hands with mud.And what about the young prince?He came to the farm hot and thirsty, and asked the people there for a bowl of apple juice to drink.Then he asked the name of the beautiful maiden who shepherds the sheep.After hearing his question, everyone burst into laughter.They told the prince that the shepherdess was one of the dirtiest and ugliest creatures under the sun.The prince felt that this matter was really strange, and maybe there was witchcraft in it, so he left in a hurry without waiting for the shepherdess to come back.And this night, our poor shepherdess was the laughing stock of everyone on the farm.

Ever since the prince came back from the farm, he has been obsessed with the beautiful girl.Although they only met once, the prince thought she was more charming than all the ladies in the kingdom.He doesn't think about food and tea, and he gets thinner every day.His parents anxiously asked him what happened and promised they would do anything to make him as happy as ever.The prince dared not tell them the truth lest they should laugh at him.So he just said that he wanted a cook on a far-off farm to bake him some bread.

Although this wish sounded strange, they immediately decided to grant the prince's wish, so they sent someone to tell the farmer about the prince's request.The princess was not surprised at this order, but she only asked for some flour, salt, and water, and to be left alone in the room with the basin adjoining the oven.Before going to work, she washed herself clean and even put on her ring.But when she started making bread, one of her rings slipped into the dough without her noticing.When she finished baking, she got herself dirty again, with dough on her hands, so that she was as dirty and ugly as before.

The little piece of bread was soon brought to the prince, who ate it with joy.But while cutting the bread, he found the princess' ring.Then he announced to his parents that he would marry the girl whose ring was most suitable for him.

The king announced the prince's decision to the whole country.After hearing the news, even many girls from remote areas rushed to the capital for fear of missing the chance to become the future queen.But the ring was so small that even girls with the slenderest hands could barely fit it on the little finger.Before long, all the girls in the country, even peasant girls, were trying on rings.Just when the king was about to declare their efforts in vain, the prince noticed that he had not yet seen the shepherdess of the farm among these girls.

So they sent and took her to the palace.She was still in her tattered dress, but her fingers were cleaner than usual, and she slipped on the ring easily.The prince announced that he would keep his promise.His parents kindly reminded him that the girl was only a shepherdess and extremely ugly.At this time, the shepherdess boldly said that she was a princess, and if they would give her some water and leave her alone in a room for a few minutes, she would prove to them that when she was dressed in beautiful clothes, she was also a princess. Look good like no one else.

They did as she said.When she appeared before them in a splendid dress, they were all astonished by her beauty, and they all believed that she was a princess in disguise.The prince also recognized the girl who made him fall in love at first sight.He knelt before the princess and asked her if she would marry him.

The princess related what had happened to her, and then said that an envoy must be sent to her father's country, to consult him, and to invite him to the wedding.

The princess's father has been living in remorse ever since he violently drove the little princess away.Although he looked for her everywhere later, no one could tell him anything about the little princess, and he thought sadly that she was dead.So when he heard that she was alive, and that a king's son was courting her, he was overjoyed, and left her country at once with his eldest daughter, to attend the princess' wedding.

At the wedding breakfast, according to the bride's order, they served only unsalted bread and unseasoned meat for the princess' father.The king frowned, and put down his knife and fork after eating a little.The princess sat beside him and asked if the food was not to his liking.

"No," he replied, "these dishes are carefully cooked and served by the maids with great care—but they are tasteless and tasteless at all."

"My father, did I not tell you that salt is the best thing in life? I compare you to salt to prove how much I love you and cannot live without you, and you despise me for it , drove me away from you."

The king embraced his little daughter and admitted that he had indeed misunderstood her words.Then, at the wedding feast that followed, they brought him salted bread and seasoned meat.He said they were absolutely the tastiest thing he had ever eaten.

(End of this chapter)