The Swineherd
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| The Swineherd | |
 Illustration by Vilhelm Pedersen |
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| Author | Hans Christian Andersen |
|---|---|
| Original title | Svinedrengen |
| Country |  Denmark |
| Language | Danish |
| Genre(s) | Fairy tale |
| Publisher | C.A. Reitzel |
| Publication date | 1841 |
| Media type | |
"The Swineherd" (Danish:Svinedrengen) is a fairy tale by the Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen about a prince who disguises himself as a swineherd to woo an arrogant princess who spurns his humble gifts.
The tale was first published December 20, 1841 by C.A. Reitzel in Copenhagen, and was republished the following year in Eventyr, fortalte for Bjørn (Fairy Tales, Told for Children).
Though the tale displays elements suggesting a source in folk material, Andersen makes the material his own by coloring the tale with his typically humorous details and by fashioning the entire tale around two of his favorite themes: the real versus the artificial, and class distinctions.
"The Swineherd" is regularly included in collections of Andersen's selected tales and reprinted in illustrated storybook editions for children. "The Swineherd" has seen adaptations in various media.
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[edit] Plot summary
A poor prince wants to marry the Emperor's daughter and sends her two beautiful gifts, a nightingale and a rose. The princess rejects the humble gifts because they're real. The prince then disguises himself and applies for position as swineherd at the palace. Once on the job, he creates a musical pot. The princess slogs through the mud to the swineherd's hut and pays ten kisses for the pot. When the swineherd follows the pot with the creation of a musical rattle, she pays 100 kisses for it. The Emperor, disgusted that his daughter would kiss a swineherd for a toy, casts her out. The prince then washes his face, dons his royal raiment, and spurns the princess as her father did. The princess is left outside the palace door singing dolefully.
[edit] Adaptations
- Les cent baisers (The hundred kisses), a ballet choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska to music by Baron Frederic d'Erlanger and a libretto by Boris Kochno, premiered at Covent Garden 18 July 1935 featuring Irina Baronova as the Princess and David Lichine as the Prince. The ballet was first staged in Australia by de Basil's Ballets Russes on 5 December 1936.[1]
- Nino Rota (1911 – 1979) composed the opera, The Swineherd Prince (Italian: Il Principe Porcaro) when he was thirteen.
- Harlequin Puppet Theatre at Rhos-on-Sea, Wales, Britain's only permanent marionette theater, presented "The Swineherd" in an adaptation by Eric Brammell in 1958.[2]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Opie, Iona and Peter. The Classic Fairy Tales. Oxford University Press, 1974. (ISBN 0192115596)
[edit] External links
- The Swineherd Jean Hersholt's English translation
- SurLaLune
