had some joke upon every one, but she laughed more than all at
a good King who was there. "Look at him," said she; "his beard is like
an old mop. I call him 'Grisly-Beard.'" So after that the good King got
the nickname of "Grisly-Beard."

Now the old King, her father, was very angry when he saw how badly his
daughter behaved, and how she treated all his friends. So he said that,
willing or unwilling, she should marry the first beggar that came to the
door! All the Kings and Nobles heard him say this.

Two days afterward a traveling singer came by. When he began to sing and
beg alms the King heard him and said: "Let him come in." So they brought
in a dirty-looking fellow, and he sang before the King and the Princess.
When he begged a gift the King said: "You have sung so well that I will
give you my daughter for your wife."

[Illustration: "YOU HAVE SUNG SO WELL I WILL GIVE YOU MY DAUGHTER FOR
YOUR WIFE"]

The Princess begged for mercy, but her father said: "I shall keep my
word." So the parson was sent for, and she was married to the singer.
Then the King said: "You must get ready; you can't stay here any longer;
you must travel on with your husband."

Then the beggar departed and took his wife with him.

Soon they came to a great wood. "Whose wood is this?" she asked.

"It belongs to King Grisly-Beard," said he. "If you had taken him this
would have been yours."

"Ah, unlucky girl that I am! I wish I had taken King Grisly-Beard."

Next they came to some fine meadows. "Whose are these beautiful green
meadows?" she asked.

"They belong to King Grisly-Beard. If you had taken him they would have
been yours."

"Ah, unlucky girl that I am! I wish indeed I had married King
Grisly-Beard."

Then they came to a great city. "Whose is this noble city?" she asked.

"It belongs to King Grisly-Beard," he said again. "If you had taken him
this would have been yours, also."

[Illustration: A DRUNKEN SOLDIER RODE HIS HORSE AGAINST HER STALL]

"Ah, miserable girl that I am," she sighed. "Why did I not marry King
Grisly-Beard?"

"That is no business of mine," said the singer.

At last they came to a small cottage. "To whom does this little hovel
belong?" she asked.

"This is yours and mine," said the beggar. "This is where we are to
live."

"Where are your servants?" she asked, falteringly.

"We cannot afford servants," said he. "You will have to do whatever is
to be done. Now, make the fire and put on water