CHAPTER 17. THE TAMING OF SHREWS: ATU 900--KING THRUSHBEARD: The Crumb in the Beard (1873).

This text is a collection of two folk tales. The first tale, "The Taming of Shrews," tells the story of a princess named Stella who is difficult to please. Her father, the king, decides to hold a banquet and invite princes and kings from neighboring countries in the hopes of finding a suitable husband for Stella. Stella finds fault with all the suitors except for one, whom she believes to be dirty because he has a crumb in his beard. Unbeknownst to Stella, the man she finds dirty is actually the prince of Green Hill, who disguises himself to seek revenge on her for calling him dirty. He marries Stella and takes her to a humble home, where she learns the value of hard work and humility. In the end, they reconcile and live happily. The second tale, "The Finicky Princess," also revolves around a princess who is difficult to please. Her father, the king, tries to teach her a lesson by subjecting her to various humiliations. Eventually, she learns the value of humility and marries the prince who had disguised himself to teach her a lesson. Both tales emphasize the importance of humility and the consequences of pride. [Extracted from the article]