I'd forgotten how incredibly tragic the little mermaid really is.
This story about the swine-herder is one of my favorites.
He's a prince who asks to marry the emperor's daughter. He sends her a rose from the bush planted over his fathers grave, which only blooms once every five years and then only with one flower. If you smell the rose it takes away all your worries (got to get me one of those). Along with the rose he sends her a bird with a perfect voice. The princess is not impressed because the flower is a real one not one that someone made and the bird merely reminds her of her music box. The prince shows up at the emperor's palace in disguise and tends the pigs. He builds a pot that allows you to smell anything anyone else in the town is cooking and which has bells that play a tune. The princess wants the pot and the swine-herder tells her she can have it for 10 kisses. Next he makes a rattle which plays the princess's song, she decides she must have it. The swine-herder required 100 kisses for the rattle. The emperor however discovers his daughter kissing the swine-herder and disowns her. Of course, she is horrified. Just then the swine-herder reveals he is actually the prince she spurned. The end is so great! He explains that because she refused the worthy gifts of a honorable prince, but traded her kisses for trinkets from a swine-herder he despises her. He tells her that she made her bed and now she can sleep in it.
I think it's a great story. Not what you expected from the illustration is it?
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