THE
GOOSE-GIRL
Once
upon a time an old queen, whose husband had been dead for many years, had a
beautiful daughter. When she grew up she was betrothed to a prince who lived a
great way off. Now, when the time drew near for her to be married and to depart
into a foreign kingdom, her old mother gave her much costly baggage, and many
ornaments, gold and silver, trinkets and knicknacks, and, in fact, everything
that belonged to a royal trousseau, for she loved her daughter very dearly. She
gave her a waiting-maid also, who was to ride with her and hand her over to the
bridegroom, and she provided each of them with a horse for the journey. Now the
Princess's horse was called Falada, and could speak.
When
the hour for departure drew near the old mother went to her bedroom, and taking
a small knife she cut her fingers till they bled; then she held a white rag
under them, and letting three drops of blood fall into it, she gave it to her
daughter, and said: "Dear child, take great care of this rag: it may be of
use to you on the journey."
So
they took a sad farewell of each other, and the Princess stuck the rag in front
of her dress, mounted her horse, and set forth on the journey to her
bridegroom's kingdom. After they had ridden for about an hour the Princess
began to feel very thirsty, and said to her waiting-maid: "Pray get down
and fetch me some water in my golden cup out of yonder stream: I would like a
drink." "If you're thirsty," said the maid, "dismount
yourself, and lie down by the water and drink; I don't mean to be your servant
any longer." The Princess was so thirsty that she got down, bent over the
stream, and drank, for she wasn't allowed to drink out of the golden goblet. As
she drank she murmured: "Oh! heaven, what am I to do?" and the three
drops of blood replied:
"If
your mother only knew,
Her heart would surely break in two."
But
the Princess was meek, and said nothing about her maid's rude behavior, and
quietly mounted her horse again. They rode on their way for several miles, but
the day was hot, and the sun's rays smote fiercely on them, so that the
Princess was soon overcome by thirst again. And as they passed a brook she
called once more to her waiting-maid: "Pray get down and give me a drink
from my golden cup," for she had long ago forgotten her maid's rude words.
But the waiting-maid replied, more haughtily even than before: "If you
want a drink, you can dismount and get it; I don't mean to be your
servant." Then the Princess was compelled by her thirst to get down, and
bending over the flowing water she cried and said: "Oh! heaven, what am I
to do?" and the three drops of blood replied:
"If
your mother only knew,
Her heart would surely break in two."
And
as she drank thus, and leaned right over the water, the rag containing the
three drops of blood fell from her bosom and floated down the stream, and she
in her anxiety never even noticed her loss. But the waiting-maid had observed
it with delight, as she knew it gave her power over the bride, for in losing
the drops of blood the Princess had become weak and powerless. When she wished
to get on her horse Falada again, the waiting-maid called out: "I mean to
ride Falada: you must mount my beast"; and this too she had to submit to.
Then the waiting-maid commanded her harshly to take off her royal robes, and to
put on her common ones, and finally she made her swear by heaven not to say a
word about the matter when they reached the palace; and if she hadn't taken
this oath she would have been killed on the spot. But Falada observed
everything, and laid it all to heart.
The
waiting-maid now mounted Falada, and the real bride the worse horse, and so
they continued their journey till at length they arrived at the palace yard.
There was great rejoicing over the arrival, and the Prince sprang forward to
meet them, and taking the waiting-maid for his bride, he lifted her down from
her horse and led her upstairs to the royal chamber. In the meantime the real
Princess was left standing below in the courtyard. The old King, who was
looking out of his window, beheld her in this plight, and it struck him how
sweet and gentle, even beautiful, she looked. He went at once to the royal
chamber, and asked the bride who it was she had brought with her and had left
thus standing in the court below. "Oh!" replied the bride, "I
brought her with me to keep me company on the journey; give the girl something
to do, that she may not be idle." But the old King had no work for her,
and couldn't think of anything; so he said, "I've a small boy who looks
after the geese, she'd better help him." The youth's name was Curdken, and
the real bride was made to assist him in herding geese.
Soon
after this the false bride said to the Prince: "Dearest husband, I pray
you grant me a favor." He answered: "That I will." "Then
let the slaughterer cut off the head of the horse I rode here upon, because it
behaved very badly on the journey." But the truth was she was afraid lest
the horse should speak and tell how she had treated the Princess. She carried
her point, and the faithful Falada was doomed to die. When the news came to the
ears of the real Princess she went to the slaughterer, and secretly promised
him a piece of gold if he would do something for her. There was in the town a
large dark gate, through which she had to pass night and morning with the
geese; would he "kindly hang up Falada's head there, that she might see it
once again?" The slaughterer said he would do as she desired, chopped off
the head, and nailed it firmly over the gateway.
Early
next morning, as she and Curdken were driving their flock through the gate, she
said as she passed under:
"Oh!
Falada, 'tis you hang there";
and
the head replied:
"'Tis
you; pass under, Princess fair:
If your mother only knew,
Her heart would surely break in two."
Then
she left the tower and drove the geese into a field. And when they had reached
the common where the geese fed she sat down and unloosed her hair, which was of
pure gold. Curdken loved to see it glitter in the sun, and wanted much to pull
some hair out. Then she spoke:
"Wind,
wind, gently sway,
Blow Curdken's hat away;
Let him chase o'er field and wold
Till my locks of ruddy gold,
Now astray and hanging down,
Be combed and plaited in a crown."
Then
a gust of wind blew Curdken's hat away, and he had to chase it over hill and
dale. When he returned from the pursuit she had finished her combing and
curling, and his chance of getting any hair was gone. Curdken was very angry,
and wouldn't speak to her. So they herded the geese till evening and then went
home.
The
next morning, as they passed under the gate, the girl said:
"Oh!
Falada, 'tis you hang there";
and
the head replied:
"'Tis
you; pass under, Princess fair:
If your mother only knew,
Her heart would surely break in two."
Then
she went on her way till she came to the common, where she sat down and began
to comb out her hair; then Curdken ran up to her and wanted to grasp some of
the hair from her head, but she called out hastily:
"Wind,
wind, gently sway,
Blow Curdken's hat away;
Let him chase o'er field and wold
Till my locks of ruddy gold,
Now astray and hanging down,
Be combed and plaited in a crown."
Then
a puff of wind came and blew Curdken's hat far away, so that he had to run
after it; and when he returned she had long finished putting up her golden
locks, and he couldn't get any hair; so they watched the geese till it was
dark.
But
that evening when they got home Curdken went to the old King, and said: "I
refuse to herd geese any longer with that girl." "For what
reason?" asked the old King. "Because she does nothing but annoy me
all day long," replied Curdken; and he proceeded to relate all her iniquities,
and said: "Every morning as we drive the flock through the dark gate she
says to a horse's head that hangs on the wall:
"'Oh!
Falada, 'tis you hang there';
and
the head replies:
"''Tis
you; pass under, Princess fair:
If your mother only knew,
Her heart would surely break in two.'"
And
Curdken went on to tell what passed on the common where the geese fed, and how
he had always to chase his hat.
The
old King bade him go and drive forth his flock as usual next day; and when
morning came he himself took up his position behind the dark gate, and heard
how the goose-girl greeted Falada. Then he followed her through the field, and
hid himself behind a bush on the common. He soon saw with his own eyes how the
goose-boy and the goose-girl looked after the geese, and how after a time the
maiden sat down and loosed her hair, that glittered like gold, and repeated:
"Wind,
wind, gently sway,
Blow Curdken's hat away;
Let him chase o'er field and wold
Till my locks of ruddy gold
Now astray and hanging down,
Be combed and plaited in a crown."
Then
a gust of wind came and blew Curdken's hat away, so that he had to fly over
hill and dale after it, and the girl in the meantime quietly combed and plaited
her hair: all this the old King observed, and returned to the palace without
anyone having noticed him. In the evening when the goose-girl came home he
called her aside, and asked her why she behaved as she did. "I may not
tell you why; how dare I confide my woes to anyone? for I swore not to by
heaven, otherwise I should have lost my life." The old King begged her to
tell him all, and left her no peace, but he could get nothing out of her. At
last he said: "Well, if you won't tell me, confide your trouble to the
iron stove there," and he went away. Then she crept to the stove, and
began to sob and cry and to pour out her poor little heart, and said:
"Here I sit, deserted by all the world, I who am a king's daughter, and a
false waiting-maid has forced me to take off my own clothes, and has taken my
place with my bridegroom, while I have to fulfill the lowly office of
goose-girl.
"If
my mother only knew
Her heart would surely break in two."
But
the old King stood outside at the stove chimney, and listened to her words.
Then he entered the room again, and bidding her leave the stove, he ordered
royal apparel to be put on her, in which she looked amazingly lovely. Then he
summoned his son, and revealed to him that he had got the false bride, who was
nothing but a waiting-maid, while the real one, in the guise of the
ex-goose-girl, was standing at his side. The young King rejoiced from his heart
when he saw her beauty and learned how good she was, and a great banquet was
prepared, to which everyone was bidden. The bridegroom sat at the head of the
table, the Princess on one side of him and the waiting-maid on the other; but
she was so dazzled that she did not recognize the Princess in her glittering
garments. Now when they had eaten and drunk, and were merry, the old King asked
the waiting-maid to solve a knotty point for him. "What," said he,
"should be done to a certain person who has deceived everyone?" and
he proceeded to relate the whole story, ending up with, "Now what sentence
should be passed?" Then the false bride answered: "She deserves to be
put stark naked into a barrel lined with sharp nails, which should be dragged
by two white horses up and down the street till she is dead."
"You
are the person," said the King, "and you have passed sentence on
yourself; and even so it shall be done to you." And when the sentence had
been carried out the young King was married to his real bride, and both reigned
over the kingdom in peace and happiness.[1]
[1]
Grimm.
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