The Goose Girl
The king of a great land died, and left his queen to take care of their only child. This
child was a daughter, who was very beautiful; and her mother loved her dearly, and
was very kind to her. And there was a good fairy too, who was fond of the princess,
and helped her mother to watch over her. When she grew up, she was betrothed to a
prince who lived a great way off; and as the time drew near for her to be married, she
got ready to set off on her journey to his country. Then the queen her mother, packed
up a great many costly things; jewels, and gold, and silver; trinkets, fine dresses, and
in short everything that became a royal bride. And she gave her a waiting-maid to ride
with her, and give her into the bridegroom's hands; and each had a horse for the
journey. Now the princess's horse was the fairy's gift, and it was called Falada, and
could speak.
When the time came for them to set out, the fairy went into her bed- chamber, and
took a little knife, and cut off a lock of her hair, and gave it to the princess, and said,
'Take care of it, dear child; for it is a charm that may be of use to you on the road.'
Then they all took a sorrowful leave of the princess; and she put the lock of hair into
her bosom, got upon her horse, and set off on her journey to her bridegroom's
kingdom.
One day, as they were riding along by a brook, the princess began to feel very thirsty:
and she said to her maid, 'Pray get down, and fetch me some water in my golden cup
out of yonder brook, for I want to drink.' 'Nay,' said the maid, 'if you are thirsty, get off
yourself, and stoop down by the water and drink; I shall not be your waiting- maid any
longer.' Then she was so thirsty that she got down, and knelt over the little brook, and
drank; for she was frightened, and dared not bring out her golden cup; and she wept
and said, 'Alas! what will become of me?' And the lock answered her, and said:
'Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.'
But the princess was very gentle and meek, so she said nothing to her maid's ill
behaviour, but got upon her horse again.
Then all rode farther on their journey, till the day grew so warm, and the sun so
scorching, that the bride began to feel very thirsty again; and at last, when they came
to a river, she forgot her maid's rude speech, and said, 'Pray get down, and fetch me
some water to drink in my golden cup.' But the maid answered her, and even spoke
more haughtily than before: 'Drink if you will, but I shall not be your waiting-maid.'
Then the princess was so thirsty that she got off her horse, and lay down, and held her
head over the running stream, and cried and said, 'What will become of me?' And the
lock of hair answered her again:
'Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.'
And as she leaned down to drink, the lock of hair fell from her bosom, and floated
away with the water. Now she was so frightened that she did not see it; but her maid
saw it, and was very glad, for she knew the charm; and she saw that the poor bride
would be in her power, now that she had lost the hair. So when the bride had done
drinking, and would have got upon Falada again, the maid said, 'I shall ride upon
Falada, and you may have my horse instead'; so she was forced to give up her horse,
and soon afterwards to take off her royal clothes and put on her maid's shabby ones.
At last, as they drew near the end of their journey, this treacherous servant threatened
to kill her mistress if she ever told anyone what had happened. But Falada saw it all,
and marked it well.
Then the waiting-maid got upon Falada, and the real bride rode upon the other horse,
and they went on in this way till at last they came to the royal court. There was great
joy at their coming, and the prince flew to meet them, and lifted the maid from her
horse, thinking she was the one who was to be his wife; and she was led upstairs to the
royal chamber; but the true princess was told to stay in the court below.
Now the old king happened just then to have nothing else to do; so he amused himself
by si
