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THE SWINEHERD |
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accomplished Swineherd ! Listen ! Go down and ask him what the instrument costs.'
And one of the ladies-in-waiting had to go down ; but she put on wooden clogs. l What will you take for the pot ? ' asked the lady-in-waiting.
I I will have ten kisses from the Princess,' answered the Swineherd.
' Heaven forbid ! ' said the lady-in-waiting.
' Yes, I will sell it for nothing less,' replied the Swineherd.
' Well, what does he say ? ' asked the Princess.
II really hardly like to tell you,' answered the lady-in-waiting. ' Oh, then you can whisper it to me.'
' He is disobliging!' said the Princess, and went away. But she had only gone a few steps when the bells rang out so prettily—
' Where is Augustus dear ? Alas! he's not here, here, here.'
' Listen !' said the Princess. ' Ask him whether he will take ten kisses from my ladies-in-waiting.'
' No, thank you,' said the Swineherd. ' Ten kisses from the Princess, or else I keep my pot.'
' That is very tiresome ! ' said the Princess. ' But you must put yourselves in front of me, so that no one can see.'
And the ladies-in-waiting placed themselves in front and then spread out their dresses ; so the Swineherd got his ten kisses, and she got the pot.
What happiness that was ! The whole night and the whole day the pot was made to boil; there was not a fire-place in the whole town where they did not know what was being cooked, whether it was at the chancellor's or at the shoemaker's.
The ladies-in-waiting danced and clapped their hands.
' We know who is going to have soup and pancakes; we know who is going to have porridge and sausages—isn't it interest-in-?'
' Yes, very interesting !' said the first lady-in-waiting.
' But don't say anything about it, for I am the Emperor's daughter.'
' Oh, no, of course we won't! ' said everyone.
The Swineherd—that is to say, the Prince (though they did not know he was anything but a true Swineherd)—let no day pass without making something, and one day he made a rattle which, when |
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