Page:Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales (1888).djvu/280

 But the most clever thing of all the kettle’s performances was this. When anyone put his finger in the steam that came from it, he could at once discover by the smell what every family in the town was having for dinner. This was certainly very different to the sweet perfume of the natural and beautiful rose. But the silly princess had no love for the beauties of nature.

Next day the princess and all her ladies were walking near the swineherd’s dwelling, and they stopped and listened with surprise and pleasure, especially when they heard the tune of “Dearest Augustin” being played. The princess was delighted; it was one of the tunes she knew, but she could only play it with one finger.

“Hark!” she exclaimed, “I know that tune. The swineherd must be an educated young man to play so well. Just go and ask him the price of the instrument.”

So one of the young ladies was obliged to go and make the inquiry, but she took care to put on her wooden shoes before venturing near the pigsties.

“What is the price of that kettle?” asked the lady.

“I will sell it to the princess for ten kisses.”

“Oh, you dreadful man!” she exclaimed.

“Well,” he said, “I will not sell it at all for any other payment.”

So the lady returned to the princess in dismay.

“What is the answer?” she asked.

“Oh, I dare not tell you,” was the reply.

“Come closer and whisper it in my ear,” said the princess. The lady obeyed, and as the princess heard the answer, she flushed and walked away, saying, “What impertinence! A clown like that to send me such a message.”

But she had not walked far when the bells on the kettle began to ring so sweetly, and the music to play—

that the princess stopped and said to one of her ladies, “Listen, dear; you must go to him once more and ask if ten kisses from my ladies will do.

“I thank you very much,” replied the swineherd; “but I must have the ten kisses from the princess, and no one else, or I keep my kettle.”

“It is very tiresome,” said she, “but i want this very wonderful kettle, and what can I do?”

So at last the princess consented to give the ten kisses if her ladies would all stand round her so that no one might see.

So the ladies all formed a ring round the princess, spread out their dresses, and the swineherd came and had the ten kisses from the princess in return for the wonderful kettle.

And was not that a joyful time? The whole evening, they listened to the bells and the music, and the whole of the next day they stood by the fire while the kettle boiled, and knew what was being cooked for dinner at every