never heard prettier compositions! Go in and ask him the price of the
instrument; but mind, he shall have no more kisses!"

"He will have a hundred kisses from the Princess!" said the lady who had
been to ask.

"I think he is not in his right senses!" said the Princess, and walked
on, but when she had gone a little way, she stopped again. "One must
encourage art," said she, "I am the Emperor's daughter. Tell him he
shall, as on yesterday, have ten kisses from me, and may take the rest
from the ladies of the court."

"Oh--but we should not like that at all!" said they. "What are you
muttering?" asked the Princess. "If I can kiss him, surely you can.
Remember that you owe everything to me." So the ladies were obliged to
go to him again.

"A hundred kisses from the Princess," said he, "or else let everyone
keep his own!"

"Stand round!" said she; and all the ladies stood round her whilst the
kissing was going on.

"What can be the reason for such a crowd close by the pigsty?" said the
Emperor, who happened just then to step out on the balcony; he rubbed
his eyes, and put on his spectacles. "They are the ladies of the
court; I must go down and see what they are about!" So he pulled up his
slippers at the heel, for he had trodden them down.

As soon as he had got into the court-yard, he moved very softly, and the
ladies were so much engrossed with counting the kisses, that all might
go on fairly, that they did not perceive the Emperor. He rose on his
tiptoes.

"What is all this?" said he, when he saw what was going on, and he boxed
the Princess's ears with his slipper, just as the swineherd was taking
the eighty-sixth kiss.

"March out!" said the Emperor, for he was very angry; and both Princess
and swineherd were thrust out of the city.

The Princess now stood and wept, the swineherd scolded, and the rain
poured down.

"Alas! Unhappy creature that I am!" said the Princess. "If I had but
married the handsome young Prince! Ah! how unfortunate I am!"

And the swineherd went behind a tree, washed the black and brown color
from his face, threw off his dirty clothes, and stepped forth in his
princely robes; he looked so noble that the Princess could not help
bowing before him.

"I am come to despise thee," said he. "Thou would'st not have an
honorable Prince! Thou could'st not prize the rose and the nightingale,
but thou wast ready to kiss the swineherd for the sake of a trumpery
plaything. Thou art rightly ser