Perhaps you may say that the hero of a fairy-tale never thinks of the mere rank of his beloved princess.

If you do, you are committing all sorts of fallacies in your premises.

For one thing, who said that Paul was a hero?
For another, who said this was a fairy-tale?
For yet another, I am not so sure that the swineherd is not impressed by the rank of his beloved.

You must remember the insistent, lifelong dream of the ragged urchin.

You must also reflect that the heart of any high-born youth in the land might well have been fluttered by signs of peculiar favour from Princess Sophie Zobraska.