A great king of a land far away in the East had a daughter who was very beautiful, but so proud, and haughty, and conceited, that none of the princes who came to ask her in marriage was good enough for her, and she only made sport of them.
Once upon a time the king held a great feast, and asked thither all her suitors; and they all sat in a row,ranged according to their rank—kings, and princes,and dukes, and earls, and counts, and barons, and knights. Then the princess came in, and as she passed by them she had something spiteful to say to every one. The first was too fat: \\u0027He\\u0027s as round as a tub,\\u0027 said she. The next was too tall: \\u0027What a maypole!\\u0027 said she.The next was too short: \\u0027What a dumpling!\\u0027 said she.The fourth was too pale, and she called him \\u0027Wallface.\\u0027The fifth was too red, so she called him \\u0027Coxcomb.\\u0027The sixth was not straight enough; so she said he was like a green stick, that had been laid to dry over a baker\\u0027s oven. And thus she had some joke to crack upon every one: but she laughed more than all at a good king who was there. \\u0027Look at him,\\u0027 said she; \\u0027his beard is like an old mop; he shall be called Grislybeard.\\u0027 So the king got the nickname of Grisly-beard.
But the old king was very angry when he saw how his daughter behaved, and how she ill-treated all his guests; and he vowed that, willing or unwilling, she should marry the first man, be he prince or beggar, that came to the door.
Two days after there came by a travelling fiddler,who began to play under the window and beg alms;and when the king heard him, he said, \\u0027Let him come in.\\u0027 So they brought in a dirty-looking fellow; and when he had sung before the king and the princess, he begged a boon. Then the king said, \\u0027You have sung so well, that I will give you my daughter for your wife.\\u0027The princess begged and prayed; but the king said, \\u0027I have sworn to give you to the first comer, and I will keep my word.\\u0027 So words and tears were of no avail;the parson was sent for, and she was married to the fiddler. When this was over the king said, \\u0027Now get ready to go—you must not stay here—you must travel on with your husband.\\u0027
Then the fiddler went his way, and took her with him, and they soon came to a great wood. \\u0027Pray,\\u0027 said she, \\u0027whose is this wood?\\u0027 \\u0027It belongs to King Grislybeard,\\u0027 answered he; \\u0027hadst thou taken him, all had been thine.\\u0027 \\u0027Ah! unlucky wretch that I am!\\u0027 sighed she;\\u0027would that I had married King Grisly-beard!\\u0027 Next they came to some fine meadows. \\u0027Whose are these beautiful green meadows?\\u0027 said she. \\u0027They belong to King Grisly-beard, hadst thou taken him, they had all been thine.\\u0027 \\u0027Ah! unlucky wretch that I am!\\u0027 said she;\\u0027would that I had married King Grisly-beard!\\u0027