l, then, let the bird fly," returned the princess. And she
positively refused to see the prince.

However, he was not to be discouraged. He stained his face brown and
black, pulled his cap over his ears, and knocked at the door of the
castle.

"Good day to my lord the emperor," said he. "Can I have employment here
at the palace?"

"Why, yes," said the emperor. "It just occurs to me that I want some one
to take care of the pigs, there are so many of them."

So the prince came to be the imperial swineherd.

He had a miserable little room, close by the pigsty, and here he was
obliged to stay; and he sat the whole day long and worked. By evening he
had made a pretty little saucepan. Little bells were hung all around it;
and when the pot was boiling, the bells tinkled in the most charming
manner, and played the old melody,

"Ach, du lieber Augustin,
Alles ist weg, weg, weg."

But what was still more curious, whoever held his finger in the smoke of
this saucepan, at once smelled all the dishes that were cooking on every
hearth of the city. This, you see, was something quite different from
the rose.

Now the princess happened to walk that way with her court ladies, and
when she heard the tune she stood quite still and seemed pleased, for
she could play "Dearest Augustine." It was the only piece she knew, and
she played it with one finger.

"Why, that is the piece that I play on the piano!" said the princess.
"That swineherd must certainly have been well educated. Go in and ask
him the price of the instrument."

So one of the court ladies had to go in, but she drew on wooden slippers
first.

"What will you take for the saucepan?" inquired the lady.

"I must have ten kisses from the princess," said the swineherd.

"Heaven preserve us!" exclaimed the maid of honor.

"I cannot sell it for less," answered the swineherd.

"Well, what does he say?" asked the princess.

"I cannot tell you, really," replied the lady. "It is too dreadful."

"Then you may whisper it." So the lady whispered it.

"He is an impudent fellow," said the princess, and she walked on. But
when she had gone a little way, the bells again tinkled prettily,

"Ah! thou dearest Augustine,
All is gone, gone, gone."

"Stay!" said the princess. "Ask him if he will have ten kisses from the
ladies of my court."

"No, thank you!" answered the swineherd. "Ten kisses from the princess,
or I keep the saucepan