The Swineherd

by   Hans Christian Andersen

Pashtisto de porkoj

de   Hans Christian Andersen

It was rather bold of him that he went and asked the emperor's daughter: “Will you marry me?” but he ventured to do so, for his name was known far and wide, and there were hundreds of princesses who would have gladly accepted him, but would she do so? Now we shall see.

On the grave of the prince's father grew a rose-tree, the most beautiful of its kind. It bloomed only once in five years, and then it had only one single rose upon it, but what a rose! It had such a sweet scent that one instantly forgot all sorrow and grief when one smelt it. He had also a nightingale, which could sing as if every sweet melody was in its throat. This rose and the nightingale he wished to give to the princess; and therefore both were put into big silver cases and sent to her.

The emperor ordered them to be carried into the great hall where the princess was just playing “Visitors are coming” with her ladies-in-waiting; when she saw the large cases with the presents therein, she clapped her hands for joy.

“I wish it were a little pussy cat,” she said. But then the rose-tree with the beautiful rose was unpacked.

“Oh, how nicely it is made,” exclaimed the ladies.

“It is more than nice,” said the emperor, “it is charming.”

The princess touched it and nearly began to cry.

“For shame, pa,” she said, “it is not artificial, it is natural!”

“For shame, it is natural” repeated all her ladies.

“Let us first see what the other case contains before we are angry,” said the emperor; then the nightingale was taken out, and it sang so beautifully that no one could possibly say anything unkind about it.

“Superbe, charmant,” said the ladies of the court, for they all prattled French, one worse than the other.

“How much the bird reminds me of the musical box of the late lamented empress,” said an old courtier, “it has exactly the same tone, the same execution.”

“You are right,” said the emperor, and began to cry like a little child.

“I hope it is not natural,” said the princess.

“Yes, certainly it is natural,” replied those who had brought the presents.

“Then let it fly,” said the princess, and refused to see the prince.

But the prince was not discouraged. He painted his face, put on common clothes, pulled his cap over his forehead, and came back.

“Good day, emperor,” he said, “could you not give me some employment at the court?”

“There are so many,” replied the emperor, “who apply for places, that for the present I have no vacancy, but I will remember you. But wait a moment; it just comes into my mind, I require somebody to look after my pigs, for I have a great many.”

Thus the prince was appointed imperial swineherd, and as such he lived in a wretchedly small room near the pigsty; there he worked all day long, and when it was night he had made a pretty little pot. There were little bells round the rim, and when the water began to boil in it, the bells began to play the old tune:

“A jolly old sow once lived in a sty,
Three little piggies had she,” &c.

But what was more wonderful was that, when one put a finger into the steam rising from the pot, one could at once smell what meals they were preparing on every fire in the whole town. That was indeed much more remarkable than the rose. When the princess with her ladies passed by and heard the tune, she stopped and looked quite pleased, for she also could play it– in fact, it was the only tune she could play, and she played it with one finger.

“That is the tune I know,” she exclaimed. “He must be a well-educated swineherd. Go and ask him how much the instrument is.”

One of the ladies had to go and ask; but she put on pattens.

“What will you take for your pot?” asked the lady.

“I will have ten kisses from the princess,” said the swineherd.

“God forbid,” said the lady.

“Well, I cannot sell it for less,” replied the swineherd.

“What did he say?” said the princess.

“I really cannot tell you,” replied the lady.

“You can whisper it into my ear.”

“It is very naughty,” said the princess, and walked off.

But when she had gone a little distance, the bells rang again so sweetly:

“A jolly old sow once lived in a sty,
Three little piggies had she,” &c.

“Ask him,” said the princess, “if he will be satisfied with ten kisses from one of my ladies.”

“No, thank you,” said the swineherd: “ten kisses from the princess, or I keep my pot.”

Certe tio estis iom malmodesta de lia flanko, ke li permesis al si diri al la filino de la imperiestro: “Chu vi min deziras?” Li tamen havis la rajton tion fari, char lia nomo estis fama tre malproksime chirkaue. Ekzistis centoj da reghidinoj, kiuj akceptus lian svatighon kun ghojo. Ni tamen vidu, chu shi tion faris.

Nu, ni audos.

Sur la tombo de la patro de la reghido kreskis rozarbetajho, vere belega rozarbetajho! Nur unu fojon en kvin jaroj ghi floris; kaj ech tiam ghi donis nur unu solan rozon, sed chi tiu havis tian belegan bonodoron, ke che ghia odorado oni forgesis chiujn siajn zorgojn kaj afliktojn. Li ankau havis najtingalon, kiu povosciis kanti tiel, kvazau chiuj charmaj melodioj loghus en ghia malgranda gorgho. Tiun rozon kaj tiun najtingalon la reghidino estis ricevonta. Por tio oni metis ilin ambau en grandajn arghentajn kestojn kaj tiel oni transsendis ilin al la reghidino.

La imperiestro ordonis, ke oni portu tion antau li en la grandan salonon, en kiun iris la reghidino, por ludi kun siaj korteganinoj “Ni ricevas gastojn”. Ili nenion havis. Kiam shi nun ekvidis la grandajn kestojn kun la donacoj, shi ghoje ekplaudis per la manoj.

“Ho, se tio estus kateto!” shi diris. Sed montrighis la belega rozo.

“Ha, kiel charme ghi estas farita!” diris chiuj korteganinoj.

“Ghi estas pli ol charma,” diris la imperiestro, “ghi estas mirinde belega!”

Sed la reghidino ekpalpis ghin kaj preskau ekploris.

“Fi, pachjo!” shi ekkriis, “ghi ne estas arta rozo, sed nur natura!”

“Fi!” esprimis la saman opinion chiuj korteganoj, “ghi estas natura!”

“Antau ol koleri, ni volu rigardi, kio trovighas en la dua kesto!” diris la imperiestro, kaj tiam montrighis la najtingalo. Ghi kantis tiel belege, ke oni ne povis tuj diri ion malbonan kontrau ghi.

“Superbe! Charmant!” ekkriis chiuj korteganinoj, char ili chiuj babilis france, unu pli malbone ol la alia.

“Kiel chi tiu birdo rememorigas al mi la muzikan kesteton de la alte formortinta imperiestrino!” diris unu maljuna kavaliro. “Ho jes, tio estas ghuste la sama tono, la sama plenumado!”

“Jes!” diris la imperiestro, kaj li ekploris kiel malgranda infano.

“Tio ja espereble ne estas natura!” ekkriis la reghidino.

“Jes, tio estas natura birdo!” diris la alportintoj.

“Nu, en tia okazo lasu la birdon flugi!” diris la reghidino, kaj shi neniel volis permesi, ke la reghido venu.

Chi tiu tamen ne lasis sin fortimigi. Li shmiris al si la vizaghon per bruna kaj nigra farbo, shovis la chapon forte malsupren kaj ekfrapis:

“Bonan tagon, imperiestro!” li diris. “Chu mi ne povus chi tie en la palaco ricevi ian oficon?”

“Ha, tiom multe da personoj serchas chi tie oficon!” respondis la imperiestro. “Tamen atendu! Mi nun efektive bezonas iun, kiu povus gardi porkojn, char ni havas grandan nombron da ili!”

Tiamaniere la reghido estis farita imperiestra porkopashtisto. Li ricevis mizeran kamereton malsupre apud la porkejo, kaj tie li devis resti. Sed dum la tuta tago li sidis kaj laboris, kaj ghis vespero li pretigis beletan malgrandan poton. Supre sur ghi li aranghis chirkaue tintilojn, kiuj che bolado en la poto tintadis tre bele kaj ludadis la malnovan melodion:

“Ha, vi kara Augusteno;
Chio estas for!”

Sed la plej granda artifikeco konsistis en tio, ke, tenante la fingron en la vaporo eliranta el la poto, oni povis flarsenti, kiaj manghajhoj estas pretigitaj sur chiu fajrejo en la urbo. Tio kompreneble estis io alia ol rozo!

La reghidino kun chiuj siaj korteganinoj preterpromenis, kaj kiam shi ekaudis la melodion, shi haltis kaj havis tre gajan mienon, char shi ankau povosciis ludi “Ha, vi kara Augusteno”. Tio estis la sola, kion shi povosciis, sed shi ludadis tion per unu fingro.

“Tion mi ankau povoscias!” shi ekkriis. “Tio certe estas tre klera porkopashtisto. Auskultu, iru tien kaj demandu lin, kiom kostas la instrumento!”

Tial unu el la korteganinoj devis tien salti, sed antaue shi metis sur siajn piedojn lignajn pantoflojn.

“Kion vi postulas pro la poto?” demandis la korteganino.

“Mi postulas dek kisojn de la reghidino!” respondis la porkopashtisto.

“Dio nin gardu!” ekkriis la korteganino.

“Jes, malpli mi ne povas preni!” diris la porkopashtisto.

“Nu, kion li diris?” demandis la reghidino.

“Tion mi efektive ne povas eldiri!” respondis la korteganino; “ghi estas terura!”

“En tia okazo vi povas flustri tion al mi en la orelon!” Kaj la korteganino flustris al shi en la orelon.

“Li estas malbonkonduta!” diris la reghidino kaj rapide iris pluen. Sed apenau shi trairis malgrandan distancon, la tintiloj ekludis tiel charme:

“Ha, vi kara Augusteno;
Chio estas for!”

“Auskultu!” denove komencis la reghidino, “demandu lin, chu li volas preni dek kisojn de miaj korteganinoj.”

“Ho ne!” diris la porkopashtisto, “dek kisojn de la reghidino, alie mi ne donos la poton!”