to work as a servant at the nearby castle of a young king: King Thrushbeard. The princess is initially ashamed that she must work in the palace of a suitor she so harshly scorned and deeply regrets doing so, but puts her pride aside when she realizes that her husband is depending on her to help out with the household. Eventually, she swallows the last of her pride and becomes so compassionate that she throws scraps of food to the mice who live in their home because she realizes they are hungry too. Just as her life is going smoothly, the princess discovers one day that King Thrushbeard is getting married. She is forced into the great hall by him for a dance. It causes her pockets containing scraps of food to burst open, which spill all over the floor and everybody laughs. She is so embarrassed that she flees the hall crying. However, much to the princess' surprise, someone follows and catches up with her. Dressed in finery is the minstrel, who smiles and asks why she is crying on her wedding day. She is shocked to discover he is really King Thrushbeard. He fell in love with her despite her scorn and secretly married her through her father's vow. Her ordeals (including his disguise as a drunken soldier) were meant to cure her of her proud, spoiled ways and punishment for her cruelty towards him. She is ashamed of herself and thanks him for teaching her to be compassionate to others. They marry with her father at the wedding. She asks before the whole court that he grow his beard back. He, from then on, is known by no other name but King Thrushbeard and they all live happily ever after. Cultural legacy The story was filmed as König Drosselbart (1954), directed by Herbert B. Fredersdorf. The story was adapted in 1969 as the Soviet cartoon The Capricious Princess (Капризная принцесса). The tale is retold in an episode of Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics under the title King Grizzlebeard. In this version, the princess' name is Elena. In addition, her father decrees that Elena will be married to the man with the lowest standing who comes to the castle the next day. It appeared as a storybook and cassette as part of the Once Upon a Time fairy tale series under the title King Rough-Beard. A version is told