Have you ever met someone who was a little bit too proud? Well, in a kingdom not so far away, lived a princess who was very beautiful, but oh, so very proud. When handsome princes came to ask for her hand in marriage, she would giggle and point. "That one's too round!" she'd say. "That one's too tall!" And to a kind young king with a slightly crooked chin, she laughed and called him "King Thrushbeard" because his beard looked a bit like a bird's nest.

Her father, the King, was not amused. Not one bit. "Since you find no one good enough," he declared, his voice like a rumble of thunder, "you shall marry the very next beggar who knocks on our castle door!" The princess gasped. A beggar? Oh dear!

Soon enough, tap-tap-tap, came a knock. It was a musician, with shabby clothes and a fiddle. "This is your husband," said the King. The princess cried, but the King's word was law.

So, the princess had to leave her fancy castle with the musician. They walked and walked, through a big, green forest. "Whose forest is this?" she asked.
"It belongs to King Thrushbeard," said the musician.
"Oh," she sighed, "if only I had married him!"

They passed sunny fields. "Whose fields are these?"
"They belong to King Thrushbeard."
"Oh dear," she thought again.
They came to a bustling town. "Whose town is this?"
"King Thrushbeard's town." The princess felt a little bit silly.

Finally, they reached a tiny, tiny cottage. "This is our home," said the musician. The princess had to learn to cook and clean. No more servants! Her hands got dirty, and her fine dresses got smudged. She tried weaving baskets, but her fingers fumbled.

Then, her husband said, "Try selling pots at the market." So she sat by the road with her clay pots. But whoosh! Some rowdy knights on horses galloped by and smashed all her pots to bits! The princess burst into tears.
"You're not very good at this," said her husband, not unkindly. "Maybe you can help in the kitchen at the King's castle nearby."

So, the princess became a kitchen helper. She scrubbed pots (real ones this time!) and peeled potatoes. It was hard work. One day, there was a huge party at the castle. The princess peeked through a doorway and saw ladies in sparkling gowns and princes in smart uniforms. And who was the host? King Thrushbeard himself!

She felt so ashamed. During the feast, she secretly tucked some leftover bread and cheese into her pockets to take home. Suddenly, King Thrushbeard saw her. He smiled and asked her to dance. As they twirled, the bread and cheese tumbled out of her pockets! Everyone stared.

The princess wanted the floor to swallow her up. But King Thrushbeard just chuckled. "Don't worry," he said softly. "I am also the musician, your husband. And all those broken pots? I sent those knights!"
He explained, "I wanted you to learn that being kind and humble is more important than being proud."

The princess's cheeks turned pink. She finally understood. She wasn't proud anymore, just a little bit wiser.
So, they had a proper wedding, a truly grand one this time. And the Princess, well, Queen Thrushbeard, learned to be kind and thoughtful, and they lived happily, not just ever after, but every single day.

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