Once upon a time there lived a prince who loved a princess and wished to marry her. One day, he sent her two beautiful gifts, a rose and a nightingale, asking her to marry him.
Everybody loved the gifts but the princess was very naughty and said, “What useless gifts! This is not a silver rose or a mechanical nightingale! I will not accept these gifts.” The prince tried to woo her and did all he could to persuade her to marry him but the haughty princess refused to change her mind.
To teach her a lesson, the prince disguised himself as a pig keeper and took up a job in the royal sty. Whenever he was free, he made lovely little things for the princess.
One day, he made a pot with little bells on it, which tinkled when boiled water. The princess was enchanted by the pot and wanted it. The pig keeper agreed to give it to her on the condition that she would kiss him in exchange.
The princess agreed. But just as the she was about the kiss the pig keeper, the king saw them and was very angry. The pig keeper then revealed that he was actually a prince. The princess was excited and wanted to marry him now but the prince refused and said to the king, “Sir, your daughter does not appreciate the real beauty of nature. She refused to marry me when I was a prince and gave her a rose and a nightingale. Instead, she liked a pot that tinkles and was willing to kiss a pig keeper for it! She should be happy with the tinkling pot and stay unmarried!”
