King Thrushbeard
Introduction
King Thrushbeard is one of the Brothers Grimm's old tales about pride. It belongs to the folk story type of 'the taming of the proud woman', the same family as Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. We have retold it as a Chinese-style fable: short scenes, plain speech, one clear turn in every scene, and a moral spoken plainly at the end. The lesson echoes the old saying that you cannot judge a book by its cover. The princess judges men by their looks and looks down on everyone, and in the end it is she who suffers most. King Thrushbeard hides his true face and lets hardship teach her, like bitter medicine that cures an illness — hard to swallow, but good for the one who takes it. Yet some readers may ask whether tricking someone and watching them fail is itself a kind of unkindness. That is exactly the question worth discussing with your child. In the original Grimm version, the storyteller closes with a warm wish that the listeners had been there to see the wedding — a traditional way to end a tale, and we keep that touch in this retelling. As you read, watch how the princess changes step by step: first she mocks, then she regrets, then she struggles, and at last she bows her head in shame. Ask your child which moment marks her turning point, and what they would have done in her place.
Vocabulary from "King Thrushbeard"
12 key words from this story with definitions and original context sentences for language learners.
A man who wants to marry a particular woman.
求婚者；求偶的男子。
One suitor after another came to her door, and she sent every one of them away, mocking them as they left.
求亲的人一个接一个地上门，她一个一个地打发走，临走还要挖苦几句。
A large, special meal with many guests.
盛宴；盛大的宴会。
One day the king held a great feast and invited every fine young man from near and far.
这一日，国王大摆筵席，把远近各国的青年才俊都请了来。
Bent or twisted, not straight.
歪的；弯曲的。
But she mocked none so much as a good king whose chin was a little crooked.
可她嘲笑得最厉害的，是一位下巴微微有些歪的好国王。
A serious promise that you will do something.
誓言；郑重许下的诺言。
So he made a heavy vow before all: "The first beggar who comes to our door shall be your husband!"
他当众发下重誓：“第一个到咱们门前讨饭的乞丐，就是你的丈夫！”
Old, torn and dirty, said about clothes.
破旧的；衣衫褴褛的。
A few days later a fiddler in ragged clothes came to the palace wall and sang beneath the windows, hoping for a few coins.
过了几天，宫墙外来了一个拉琴卖唱的，穿得破破烂烂，在窗下唱了一支曲子，想讨几个铜板。
A field of green grass.
草地；草场。
They crossed a green meadow, and she asked again, "Whose meadow is this?"
走过一片草地，她又问：“这片好草场是谁的？”
Moved your hands clumsily because you did not know how to do something.
笨手笨脚地摸索；手忙脚乱。
She fumbled about, and her husband had to cook himself before they could eat.
她笨手笨脚，丈夫只好亲自下厨，两人才勉强吃上一口热饭。
An agreement to buy or sell something; here, a deal that turns out well or badly.
交易；买卖。（此处指“亏本的买卖”）
Marrying you was a bad bargain.
娶你真是做了笔亏本的买卖。
Riding or moving very fast on a horse.
（骑马）飞奔；疾驰。
That day the princess set her pots in a circle and was about to open for business, when a drunken soldier came galloping up.
这天公主把陶器一圈圈摆好，正要开张，忽然一个喝醉的骑兵纵马冲了过来。
Laughter or words that make fun of someone.
嘲笑；讥讽。
The whole hall burst into laughter and mockery.
满堂宾客哄堂大笑，讥笑声此起彼伏。
Changed your appearance so that people could not recognise you.
乔装；伪装。
I disguised myself and bore all kinds of hardship, only to rub away your pride and to let you taste the mockery you once poured on others.
我乔装改扮，吃尽苦头受尽白眼，都是想磨掉你身上的傲气，也让你尝尝当初你泼在别人身上的讥笑。
Good enough for something; deserving something.
值得的；配得上的。
I am not worthy to be your wife.
我实在不配做你的妻子。
Reading Together & Learning More
The Moral
Proud people look down on others, but in the end it is the proud who suffer most. True nobility lies not in beauty or rank, but in humility and kindness.
Educational Value
This fable helps children see the harm of mocking others and judging by looks, and teaches humility, empathy and gratitude; it also invites them to ask whether teaching someone by deliberate shame is itself unfair.
Tips for Parents
As you read, first ask your child what the princess did wrong, and then whether King Thrushbeard was fair to disguise himself and watch her fail. Turn the story into a friendly debate, so your child learns both to reflect on their own faults and to question unfair ways of teaching a lesson.
Talk About It
- Why did the princess think no suitor was good enough for her? Was it right of her to mock people for their looks?
- King Thrushbeard pretended to be a beggar and a fiddler and let the princess suffer, saying it was to teach her humility. Was that fair? If you had to help a proud person see the light, what would you do?
- When the princess sold pots, people paid whatever she asked, and some even paid without taking the pots. Why were they so kind to her? What does that tell us?
- The princess only became humble after much hardship. Must a person suffer before they can become humble? Is there a way to learn humility without suffering?
- If you were the princess and your jars broke at the wedding while everyone laughed, what would you think, and what would you do?
