The Goose Girl
Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there lived a beautiful princess who was kind, gentle, and good-hearted. Her mother, the queen, loved her dearly and had arranged for her to marry a prince from a neighboring kingdom. When the time came for the princess to leave, the queen gave her daughter precious gifts for the journey. Among these were a golden cup, magical in its beauty, and a handkerchief with three drops of the queen’s blood, meant to protect her from harm.
The princess was also given a loyal horse named Falada, who could speak. With her maidservant to accompany her, the princess set out for her new home.
At first, the journey went smoothly, but after a few days, the maidservant grew jealous of the princess’s beauty, her golden cup, and the precious gifts she carried. One morning, as they rested by a stream, the maidservant saw her chance to take control.
“Fetch me some water, servant girl,” the maid demanded arrogantly.
The princess was startled. “Why do you speak to me that way? You are my servant.”
But the maidservant glared at her and said, “Not anymore. If you value your life, you’ll obey me.”
Afraid, the princess did as she was told. She fetched water for the maidservant and even let her drink from the golden cup. The maidservant then declared, “We’re going to switch places. You will give me your fine clothes, your jewels, and your horse. From now on, I am the princess, and you are my servant.”
The princess begged for mercy, but the maidservant was ruthless. She threatened to harm Falada, the loyal horse, if the princess did not comply. Helpless and frightened, the princess exchanged her royal garments for the maid’s plain clothes.
When they reached the prince’s castle, the maidservant, now dressed as a princess, was welcomed with open arms. The real princess, disguised as a servant, was sent to work in the castle tending geese.
The false princess, afraid that Falada might reveal her secret, ordered the horse to be killed. The real princess was devastated when she heard the news. She begged the castle’s butcher to spare Falada’s head and hang it above the gate where she passed each morning. The butcher, moved by her sorrow, granted her request.
Each day, as the princess walked past the gate to tend the geese, she would whisper to Falada’s head:
“Oh, Falada, hanging there,
What will become of me, so fair?”
And Falada would reply:
“Alas, poor princess, passing by,
Your servant’s treachery is nigh.”
The princess took some comfort in these daily conversations, even as she endured her difficult new life.
The princess’s work in the castle involved looking after the geese alongside a boy named Conrad. Conrad quickly noticed her beauty and her noble bearing, even though she was dressed as a servant. But he also noticed something unusual: whenever the princess let down her golden hair to braid it, a strange wind seemed to blow, scattering the geese and Conrad’s hat.
Conrad grew frustrated and complained to the king, saying, “There’s something odd about the goose girl. She makes the geese scatter, and her hair shines like gold.”
The king, intrigued, decided to investigate the mysterious goose girl himself.
The next day, the king followed the princess as she walked to the gate and overheard her conversation with Falada’s head. He was shocked to learn of the betrayal and the maidservant’s deception.
Determined to uncover the truth, the king invited the goose girl to speak with him privately. At first, the princess was too afraid to reveal her story, as she had sworn an oath to the maidservant to remain silent. But the king, sensing her distress, said, “If you cannot tell me your troubles, then speak them into this iron stove, and I will not hear them.”
The princess, comforted by his words, knelt before the stove and poured out her heart. She told the entire tale—the betrayal, the stolen identity, and the murder of Falada.
The king, now fully aware of the maidservant’s treachery, devised a clever plan. He held a grand banquet and invited both the false princess and the real one. During the feast, the king shared a story about a servant who betrayed her mistress, then asked the false princess, “What punishment do you think such a person deserves?”
The false princess, unaware that her crime had been discovered, arrogantly replied, “Such a person deserves to be stripped of her title and thrown out of the castle!”
The king then revealed the true identity of the princess and exposed the maidservant’s lies. The false princess was sent away in disgrace, and the real princess was restored to her rightful place.
The princess and the prince were married in a grand celebration, and the loyal horse Falada was honored with a memorial for his service and sacrifice. The princess, now queen, ruled with kindness and wisdom, and her story became a lesson in loyalty, courage, and the triumph of truth over deceit.
And so, the goose girl lived happily ever after, her golden hair shining brighter than ever.
