King Thrushbeard () is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm (KHM 52). It is of Aarne–Thompson type 900. Origin The tale was published by the Brothers Grimm in the first edition of Kinder- und Hausmärchen in 1812, and slightly modified in the second edition issued in 1819. Their sources were the Hassenpflug family from Hanau, supplemented by Ludowine Haxthausen and by Wilhelm Grimm's friend and future wife, Dortchen Wild. Synopsis A beautiful, but spoiled and shallow princess rudely criticizes all her suitors because she is too proud. She is impressed with the last one, but her pride will not let her accept him. He is a young king with such a thick pointed beard, that to her it looks like a thrush's beak, so she cruelly dubs him King Thrushbeard. He leaves in anger. Her father, exasperated and angry at how she scorned them all, vows that the first man who comes to the palace the next day, whether he be a noble or a peasant, will become her husband. Meanwhile, an unknown stranger overhears the conversation. When a young minstrel with a clean shaven face appears in the palace the next day, the king offers his daughter's hand in marriage. He disapproves of marrying her immediately as she does not look strong nor does she appear to be capable of any practical work. However, he notes the poor cannot be choosy and agrees to marry her. She opposes vehemently because he is a commoner, but the king has given his word. She marries him and he takes her away from the palace to his home. As they travel to the minstrel's home, they pass by the fine lands and properties that belong to King Thrushbeard, and the princess begins to regret scorning him. They arrive at his home, a house fit only for swine. He treats her as though she was a commoner and she is upset now that she must work for a living. He has her doing practical chores such as cleaning the house, weaving baskets, and spinning cotton, at which she is completely inept. She is then sent to sell pottery in the marketplace and all seems to go well, until a drunken soldier on a horse passes by and smashes every single pot to pieces. Thoroughly annoyed at her constant failures, the minstrel tells her the only job left for her is