King Thrushbeard

by the Brothers Grimm

A King had a daughter who was beautiful beyond all measure, but so proud and haughty withal that no suitor was good enough for her. She sent away one after the other and ridiculed them as well.

Summary Introduction

"King Thrushbeard" (German: "König Drosselbart"; also published in English as "King Grizzle-Beard") is a German fairy tale. It is included in Kinder- und Hausmärchen (Children's and Household Tales), the 1812 anthology of German folktales compiled by the Brothers Grimm.

The story concerns a proud and haughty princess who rejects all of the many men who want to marry her because she considers none of them to be good enough for her. The princess' enraged father then forces her to marry a beggar. The princess' new husband teaches her humility.