Page:The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen (c1899).djvu/54

 Accordingly, the ladies-in-waiting stood before her, and spread out their clothes, and the swineherd got the ten kisses, and she obtained the pipkin.

And how delighted she was! All that evening, and the whole day following, was the pipkin set to boil; and there was not a hearth in the kingdom on which anything could be cooked without their knowing it—from my lord-chamberlain’s down to the shoemaker’s. The ladies-in-waiting clapped their hands and jumped with joy.

“We now know who is going to eat sweet porridge and an omelet, or who will have gruel and broiled meat. How interesting, to be sure!”

“Very interesting,” quoth the mistress of the robes.

“But you must not blab, because I am the emperor’s daughter.”

“Of course not,” said they in a breath.

The swineherd, or rather, the prince—though they took him to be a real swineherd—did not let a day go by without working at something; and so he next fashioned a rattle, which only required springing to play all the waltzes, galops and polkas known since the creation of the world.

“Really, this is superbe!” said the princess, as she passed by. “I never heard a finer composition. I say, go in and ask him what’s the price of the instrument. Only I will not give any more kisses.”

“He wants a hundred kisses from her royal highness!” said the lady-in-waiting, who had been in to inquire.

“He must be crazy, I should think!” said the princess, turning away. But after going a few steps, she stopped short. “We must encourage the fine arts,” said she, “and I am the emperor’s daughter. So tell him that he shall have ten kisses as before, and he may take the rest from my ladies-in-waiting.”

“Nay, but we should not much relish that,” said the ladies-in-waiting.

“Nonsense!” said the princess; “if I can kiss him, surely you may. Remember I give you board, and lodging, and wages.” And so the ladies-in-waiting were obliged to go in once more to speak to him.

“A hundred kisses from the princess,” said he, “or it’s no bargain.”

Stand before me, said she; and the ladies-in-waiting did as they were bid, and he began kissing the princess.

“What’s that mob after, near the pig-sty?” asked the emperor, who had just stepped into the