I am looking for the fairy tale of a prince, king that couldn't cry and all the wise men couldn't find a way a

Question

and finally someone did the trick with onions.

Answer 1

The way I heard it: a cold hearted princess would not cry, for mirth nor misfortune. Her touch was cold, her eyes were hard and her lips were blue. No prince nor duke, no wise man, no fool could crack her lips. The girl was whipped, and tickled, but she made no change.
The a peasant woman, an old hag from the kitchens promised the king she could make the princess cry. She made the princess sit on a bucket and peel onions. Then the girl began to cry.

Sometimes the story ends here, but sometimes she keeps crying for seven years, or until she sheds all her pent up tears.
Sometimes it is her suitors that have to make her cry or be beheaded.

Also, sometimes the girl would laugh when she was supposed to cry, and cry during happy times. The contest was to make her do the appropirate action.

Answer 2

There's a play called "Once upon a Mattress" It is a spoof on fairy tales, not sure which ones, and it sounds like that.

It's a good play. It's really funny. Wish i could help more than that.