A princess, known for her beauty and arrogance, mocks her suitors. Her father forces her to marry a beggar musician. The beggar takes her to a poor cottage, where she must do all the work. She works as a kitchen maid and is discovered by King Thrushbeard. Thrushbeard reveals that he was the beggar, musician, and the man who broke her pottery, and that it was all a lesson. They then celebrate their real wedding.