English Original
A king had a daughter who was beautiful beyond all measure, but at the same time so proud and arrogant that no suitor was good enough for her. She rejected one after the other, ridiculing them as well.
Once the king sponsored a great feast and invited from far and near all the men wanting to get married. They were all placed in a row according to their rank and standing. First came the kings, then the grand dukes, then the princes, the earls, the barons, and the aristocracy. Then the king's daughter was led through the ranks, but she objected to something about each one. One was too fat: "The wine barrel," she said. Another was too tall: "Thin and tall, no good at all." The third was too short: "Short and thick is never quick." The fourth was too pale: "As pale as death." The fifth too red: "A prize rooster." The sixth was not straight enough: "Green wood, dried behind the stove."
And thus she had some objection to each one, but she ridiculed especially one good king who stood at the very top of the row, and whose chin had grown a little crooked. "Look!" she cried out, laughing, "He has a chin like a thrush's beak." And from that time he was called Thrushbeard.
Now the old king, seeing that his daughter did nothing but ridicule the people, making fun of all the suitors who were gathered there, became very angry, and he swore that she should have for her husband the very first beggar to come to his door.
A few days later a minstrel came and sang beneath the window, trying to earn a small handout. When the king heard him he said, "Let him come up." So the minstrel, in his dirty, ragged clothes, came in and sang before the king and his daughter, and when he was finished he asked for a small gift. The king said, "I liked your song so much that I will give you my daughter for a wife."
The king's daughter took fright, but the king said, "I have taken an oath to give you to the very first beggar, and I will keep it." Her protests did not help. The priest was called in, and she had to marry the minstrel at once. After that had happened the king said, "It is not proper for you, a beggar's wife, to stay in my palace any longer. All you can do now is to go away with your husband."
The beggar led her out by the hand, and she had to leave with him, walking on foot.
They came to a large forest, and she asked, "Who owns this beautiful forest?" "It belongs to King Thrushbeard. If you had taken him, it would be yours." "Oh, I am a miserable thing; If only I'd taken the Thrushbeard King."
Afterwards they crossed a meadow, and she asked again, "Who owns this beautiful green meadow?" "It belongs to king Thrushbeard. If you had taken him, it would be yours." "Oh, I am a miserable thing; If only I'd taken the Thrushbeard King."
Then they walked through a large town, and she asked again, "Who owns this beautiful large town?" "It belongs to king Thrushbeard. If you had taken him, it would be yours." "Oh, I am a miserable thing; If only I'd taken the Thrushbeard King."
"I do not like you to always be wishing for another husband," said the minstrel. "Am I not good enough for you?"
At last they came to a very little hut, and she said, "Oh goodness. What a small house. Who owns this miserable tiny hut?" The minstrel answered, "This is my house and yours, where we shall live together." She had to stoop in order to get in the low door.
"Where are the servants?" said the king's daughter. "What servants?" answered the beggar. "You must do for yourself what you want to have done. Now make a fire at once, put some water on to boil, so you can cook me something to eat. I am very tired." But the king's daughter knew nothing about lighting fires or cooking, and the beggar had to lend a hand himself to get anything done at all. When they had finished their scanty meal they went to bed. But he made her get up very early the next morning in order to do the housework.
For a few days they lived in this way, as well as they could, but they finally came to the end of their provisions. Then the man said, "Wife, we cannot go on any longer eating and drinking here and earning nothing. You must weave baskets." He went out, cut some willows, and brought them home. Then she began to weave baskets, but the hard willows cut into her delicate hands. "I see that this will not do," said the man. "You had better spin. Perhaps you can do that better." She sat down and tried to spin, but the hard thread soon cut into her soft fingers until they bled.
"See," said the man. "You are not good for any sort of work. I made a bad bargain with you. Now I will try to start a business with pots and earthenware. You must sit in the marketplace and sell them." "Oh!" she thought. "If people from my father's kingdom come to the market and see me sitting there selling things, how they will ridicule me!" But her protests did not help. She had to do what her husband demanded, unless she wanted to die of hunger.
At first it went well. People bought the woman's wares because she was beautiful, and they paid her whatever she asked. Many even gave her the money and let her keep the pots. So they lived on what she earned as long as it lasted. Then the husband bought a lot of new pottery. She sat down with this at the corner of the marketplace and set it around her for sale. But suddenly there came a drunken hussar galloping along, and he rode right into the pots, breaking them into a thousand pieces. She began to cry, and was so afraid that she did not know what to do. "Oh! What will happen to me?" she cried. "What will my husband say about this?" She ran home and told him of the misfortune. "Who would sit at the corner of the marketplace with earthenware?" said the man. "Now stop crying. I see very well that you are not fit for any ordinary work. Now I was at our king's palace and asked if they couldn't use a kitchen maid. They promised me to take you. In return you will get free food."
The king's daughter now became a kitchen maid, and had to be available to the cook, and to do the dirtiest work. In each of her pockets she fastened a little jar, in which she took home her share of the leftovers. And this is what they lived on.
It happened that the wedding of the king's eldest son was to be celebrated, so the poor woman went up and stood near the door of the hall to look on. When all the lights were lit, and people, each more beautiful than the other, entered, and all was full of pomp and splendor, she thought about her plight with a sad heart, and cursed the pride and haughtiness which had humbled her and brought her to such 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 scraps, which she put in her jar to take home.
Then suddenly the king's son entered, clothed in velvet and silk, with gold chains around his neck. When he saw the beautiful woman standing by the door he took her by the hand and wanted to dance with her. But she refused and took fright, for she saw that he was King Thrushbeard, the suitor whom she had rejected with scorn. Her struggles did not help. He pulled her into the hall. But the string that tied up her pockets broke, and the pots fell to the floor. The soup ran out, and the scraps flew everywhere. When the people saw this, everyone laughed and ridiculed her. She was so ashamed that she would rather have been a thousand fathoms beneath the ground. She jumped out the door and wanted to run away, but a man overtook her on the stairs and brought her back. And when she looked at him, it was King Thrushbeard again.
He said to her kindly, "Don't be afraid. I and the minstrel who has been living with you in that miserable hut are one and the same. For the love of you I disguised myself. And I was also the hussar who broke your pottery to pieces. All this was done to humble your proud spirit and to punish you for the arrogance with which you ridiculed me." Then she cried bitterly and said, "I was terribly 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 dressed her in the most splendid clothing, and her father and his whole court came and wished her happiness in her marriage with King Thrushbeard, and their true happiness began only now.
中文翻译
从前，有一位国王，他有一个女儿，美丽得无与伦比，但同时她也极其骄傲和傲慢，觉得没有一个求婚者配得上她。她一个接一个地拒绝他们，还加以嘲笑。
有一次，国王举办了一场盛大的宴会，邀请了远近所有想要结婚的男子。他们按照等级和地位排成一排。首先是国王们，然后是大公们，接着是王子们、伯爵们、男爵们和贵族们。然后，国王的女儿被领着走过队列，但她对每个人都挑出毛病。一个太胖：“酒桶，”她说。另一个太高：“又高又瘦，一无是处。”第三个太矮：“又矮又胖，行动不灵。”第四个太苍白：“苍白得像死人。”第五个太红：“像只得奖的公鸡。”第六个站得不够直：“像炉子后面烤干的绿木头。”
就这样，她对每个人都有意见，但她尤其嘲笑一位站在队列最前面的好国王，他的下巴长得有点歪。“看！”她大笑着喊道，“他的下巴像画眉鸟的嘴。”从那时起，他就被称为“画眉嘴国王”。
老国王看到女儿除了嘲笑别人、取笑所有聚集在那里的求婚者外什么也不做，非常生气，他发誓要把她嫁给第一个来到他门口的乞丐。
几天后，一个吟游歌手来到窗下唱歌，想讨一点施舍。国王听到后说：“让他上来。”于是，吟游歌手穿着又脏又破的衣服进来，在国王和他的女儿面前唱歌，唱完后他请求一点赏赐。国王说：“我非常喜欢你的歌，我要把我的女儿嫁给你做妻子。”
国王的女儿吓坏了，但国王说：“我已发誓要把你嫁给第一个乞丐，我会遵守诺言。”她的抗议没有用。牧师被叫来，她不得不立刻嫁给了吟游歌手。之后，国王说：“你，一个乞丐的妻子，再留在我的宫殿里不合适了。你现在只能跟你的丈夫离开。”
乞丐牵着她的手带她出去，她不得不步行跟着他离开。
他们来到一片大森林，她问：“这片美丽的森林是谁的？”“它属于画眉嘴国王。如果你嫁给了他，它就是你的了。”“唉，我真可怜；要是我当初嫁给了画眉嘴国王就好了。”
之后他们穿过一片草地，她又问：“这片美丽的绿草地是谁的？”“它属于画眉嘴国王。如果你嫁给了他，它就是你的了。”“唉，我真可怜；要是我当初嫁给了画眉嘴国王就好了。”
然后他们走过一座大城市，她又问：“这座美丽的大城市是谁的？”“它属于画眉嘴国王。如果你嫁给了他，它就是你的了。”“唉，我真可怜；要是我当初嫁给了画眉嘴国王就好了。”
“我不喜欢你总是想着另一个丈夫，”吟游歌手说。“难道我还配不上你吗？”
最后他们来到一间非常小的茅屋，她说：“天哪。多小的房子啊。这间可怜的小茅屋是谁的？”吟游歌手回答：“这是我和你的房子，我们将一起住在这里。”她不得不弯下腰才能钻进低矮的门。
“仆人在哪里？”国王的女儿说。“什么仆人？”乞丐回答。“你想做什么事都得自己动手。现在立刻生火，烧点水，给我做点吃的。我累坏了。”但国王的女儿对生火做饭一窍不通，乞丐不得不自己动手帮忙才勉强做成。他们吃完简陋的一餐后就上床睡觉了。但第二天一早，他就叫她起床做家务。
他们就这样勉强过了几天，但最后食物吃完了。男人说：“妻子，我们不能光在这里吃喝却不挣钱了。你必须编篮子。”他出去砍了些柳条带回家。然后她开始编篮子，但坚硬的柳条划伤了她娇嫩的手。“我看这不行，”男人说。“你最好纺线。也许你更擅长那个。”她坐下来试着纺线，但坚硬的纱线很快割破了她柔软的手指，直到流血。
“看吧，”男人说。“你什么活都干不好。我跟你结婚真是亏了。现在我要试试做陶器生意。你必须坐在集市上卖它们。”“哦！”她想。“如果我父亲王国里的人来集市，看到我坐在那里卖东西，他们会怎么嘲笑我啊！”但她的抗议没有用。她必须按丈夫的要求做，除非她想饿死。
起初生意不错。人们因为女人漂亮而买她的货物，她要多少钱就给多少钱。许多人甚至给了钱却不要陶器。于是他们就靠她挣的钱生活，直到钱花光。然后丈夫买了很多新陶器。她带着这些陶器坐在集市的一角，把陶器摆放在周围出售。但突然一个喝醉的轻骑兵疾驰而来，径直冲进了陶器堆，把它们撞得粉碎。她哭了起来，害怕得不知如何是好。“哦！我会怎么样？”她哭道。“我丈夫会怎么说这件事？”她跑回家告诉了他这个不幸。“谁会坐在集市角落卖陶器？”男人说。“别哭了。我很清楚你干不了任何普通工作。我刚才去了我们国王的宫殿，问他们是否需要厨房女佣。他们答应收下你。作为回报，你可以得到免费的食物。”
国王的女儿现在成了厨房女佣，必须随时听候厨师差遣，干最脏的活。她在每个口袋里都系上一个小罐子，用来带回家她那份剩菜。他们就靠这个生活。
碰巧国王长子的婚礼即将举行，这个可怜的女人走上去，站在大厅门边观看。当所有的灯都点亮，人们一个比一个漂亮地走进来，到处充满了盛况和辉煌时，她悲伤地想着自己的困境，诅咒那使她受辱并陷入如此巨大贫困的骄傲和傲慢。美味菜肴端进端出的香味飘到她这里，仆人们不时扔给她一些残羹剩饭，她就把它们放进罐子里带回家。
突然，王子走了进来，身穿天鹅绒和丝绸，脖子上戴着金链。当他看到站在门边的美丽女人时，他拉住她的手想和她跳舞。但她拒绝了，并且吓坏了，因为她看到他就是画眉嘴国王，那个她曾轻蔑拒绝的求婚者。她的挣扎没有用。他把她拉进了大厅。但系着她口袋的绳子断了，罐子掉到地板上。汤流了出来，剩菜飞得到处都是。人们看到这一幕，都大笑起来嘲笑她。她羞愧得恨不得钻到地下一千英寻深。她跳出门口想逃跑，但一个男人在楼梯上追上她，把她带了回来。当她看向他时，又是画眉嘴国王。
他和蔼地对她说：“别害怕。我就是那个和你一起住在破茅屋里的吟游歌手。因为爱你，我伪装了自己。我也是那个打碎你陶器的轻骑兵。所有这一切都是为了挫败你骄傲的性子，惩罚你因傲慢而嘲笑我。”她痛哭流涕地说：“我大错特错，不配做你的妻子。”但他说：“放心吧。苦难的日子已经过去了。现在我们要庆祝我们的婚礼了。”
随后，侍女们过来给她穿上了最华丽的衣服，她的父亲和整个宫廷的人都来了，祝愿她与画眉嘴国王婚姻幸福，他们真正的幸福生活此刻才刚刚开始。