Hello there,
My name is Mandy and I'm delighted that you've chosen to join me for tonight's reading.
It's one of the original stories brought to us by those well-known brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.
They were academics as well as brothers and they collaborated with each other in the 19th century to collect folk tales from the nurseries and firesides of Germany.
I wonder what they'd say if they knew how popular their stories would become and that you and I would still be enjoying them over 200 years later.
So before we start let's just spend a few moments taking up a comfortable position,
Whether that's sitting or lying,
And do any of those little last minute adjustments that you might need to do to make yourself as comfortable as you can be today at this particular moment in time.
Okay then I'll begin.
King Grizzlebeard.
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 were 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 everyone.
The first was too fat.
He's as round as a tub,
Said she.
The next was too tall.
What a maypole,
Said she.
The next was too short.
What a dumpling,
Said she.
The fourth was too pale and she called him wall face.
The fifth was too red so she called him coxcomb.
The sixth was not straight enough so she said he was like a green stick that had been laid to dry over a baker's oven and thus she had some joke to crack upon everyone.
But she laughed more than all at a good king who was there.
Look at him,
Said she.
His beard is like an old mop.
He shall be called grizzle beard.
So the king got the nickname of grizzle 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 let him come in.
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 you have sung so well that I will give you my daughter for your wife.
The princess begged and prayed but the king said I have sworn to give you to the first comer and I will keep my word.
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 now get ready to go.
You must not stay here.
You must travel on with your husband.
Then the fiddler went his way and took her with him and they soon came to a great wood.
Pray said she whose is this wood?
It belongs to king grizzle beard answered he.
Hadst thou taken him all had been thine.
Oh unlucky wretch that I am sighed she.
Would that I had married king grizzle beard.
Next they came to some fine meadows.
Who's these beautiful green meadows said she.
They belong to king grizzle beard.
Hadst thou taken him they had all been thine.
Oh unlucky wretch that I am said she.
Would that I had married king grizzle beard.
Then they came to a great city.
Whose is this noble city said he.
It belongs to king grizzle beard.
Hadst thou taken him it had all been thine.
Oh wretch that I am sighed she.
Why did I not marry king grizzle beard.
That is no business of mine said the fiddler.
Why should you wish for another husband?
Am I not good enough for you?
At last they came to a small cottage.
What a paltry place said she.
To whom does that little dirty hole belong?
Then the fiddler said that is your and my house where we are to live.
But where are your servants cried she.
What do we want with servants said he.
You must do for yourself whatever is to be done.
Now make the fire and put on water and cook my supper for I am very tired.
But the princess knew nothing of making fires and cooking and the fiddler was forced to help her.
When they had eaten a very scanty meal they went to bed.
But the fiddler called her up very early in the morning to clean the house.
Thus they lived for two days and when they had eaten up all there was in the cottage the man said.
Wife we can't go on thus spending money and earning nothing.
You must learn to weave baskets.
Then he went out and cut willows and brought them home and she began to weave.
But it made her fingers very sore.
I see this work won't do said he.
Try and spin.
Perhaps you will do that better.
So she sat down and tried to spin.
But the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.
See now said the fiddler you were good for nothing.
You can do no work.
What a bargain I have got.
However I'll try and set up a trade in pots and pans and you shall stand in the market and sell them.
Alas said she if any of my father's court should pass by and see me standing in the market how they will laugh at me.
But her husband didn't care about that and said she must work if she didn't wish to die of hunger.
At first the trade went well.
For many people seeing such a beautiful woman went to buy her wares and paid their money without thinking of taking away the goods.
They lived on this as long as it lasted and then her husband brought a fresh lot of ware and she sat herself down with it in the corner of the market.
But a drunken soldier came by and rode his horse against her stall and broke all her goods into a thousand pieces.
She began to cry and knew not what to do.
Ah what will become of me said she.
What will my husband say.
So she ran home and told him everything.
Who would have thought you would have been so silly said he as to put an earthenware stall in the corner of the market where everybody passes.
But let us have no more crying.
I see you are not fit for this sort of work so I have been to the king's palace and asked if they wanted a kitchen maid and they say they will take you and there you will have plenty to eat.
Thus the princess became a kitchen maid.
She helped the cook do all the dirtiest work but she was allowed to carry home some of the meat that was left and on this they lived.
She had not been there long when she heard that the king's eldest son was passing by going to be married and she went to one of the windows and looked out.
Everything was ready and all the pomp and brightness of the court was there.
Then she bitterly grieved for the pride and folly which had brought her so low and the servants gave her some of the rich meats which she put into her basket to take home.
All on a sudden as she was going out in came the king's son in golden clothes and when he saw a beautiful woman at the door he took her by the hand and said she should be his partner in the dance but she trembled for fear for she saw it was king grizzle beard who was making sport of her.
However he kept fast hold and he led her in and the cover of the basket came off so that the meats in it all fell about.
Then everybody laughed and jeered at her and she was so abashed that she wished herself a thousand feet deep in the earth.
She sprang to the door to run away but on the steps king grizzle beard overtook her and brought her back and said fear me not I am the fiddler who has lived with you in the hut.
I brought you there because I really loved you.
I am also the soldier that over set your stall.
I have done all this only to cure you of your silly pride and to show you the folly of your ill treatment of me.
Now all is over you have learnt wisdom and it is time to hold our marriage feast.
Then the chamberlains came and brought her the most beautiful robes and her father and his whole court were there already and welcomed her home on her marriage.
Joy was in every face and every heart the feast was grand they danced and sang all were merry and I only wish that you and I had been of the party.
