In all do fairness, even though we love both Anderson's and the Brothers Grimm stories, many of them are just so aggravating. Whether it's an irritating, ongoing thing in the story or just one thing that could've been easily resolved if the characters would just use their brains for a moment. One of these really aggravating things that could've been easily resolved is in the Goose Girl. Here's an alternate scene to the story.
I own nothing. The original story of the Goose Girl belongs to the Brothers Grimm. I don't own the cover image either.
Enjoy the story!
Once upon a time, there once was an old queen who had been widowed for many years. The queen had a beautiful and charming daughter who she loved dearly. One day, when the princess grew old enough, the time came for her to marry. Betrothed to a prince in a distant country, she was to be sent by horse with a waiting-woman to accompany her. Her horse was a brilliant white one named Falada and she could speak.
Packed with all the finest comforts, for the queen loved her dearly, the princess was also given a piece of cloth, white cambric in fact, that her mother had let three drops of her own blood fall onto it. The queen had done so that it might protect her daughter. Confused, but still grateful, the princess thanked her mother and took her leave with her servant.
The two had been riding for several hours when the princess began feeling quite parched. Seeing that her mother had unfortunately not packed any food or drink in the load, she began searching around for some liquid to wet her throat. Noticing a stream nearby, she halted, took out a golden cup in one of her saddle bags and called out to the waiting-woman, "Dear servant, please dismount and fetch me some water in this cup from the stream over there."
To her complete shock and dismay, the waiting-woman simply cackled and shook her head, before replying rudely back, "If you are thirsty, get off your horse yourself, go down by the river and drink. I will not be your servant."
Despite being very confused and upset by the old woman's words, she still was very thirsty and thus dismounted and went by the stream. She used her cup to scoop some of the water out and drank to quench her thirst. As she mounted back on Falada, she heard a voice echoing in her head that said, "If your mother knew what you had done, it would break her frail heart." And the princess grew quite alarmed at the voice, but decided to keep calm and continue on.
The two then traveled for quite awhile longer. The sun rose high into the sky and beat down harshly on the two. Eventually, the princess grew thirsty again and saw a river nearby. Stopping again, she took out her cup and called out to the waiting-woman, "Dear servant, please dismount and fetch me some water in this cup from the river."
However, the waiting-woman did not behave any better the second time. After laughing haughtily, she rudely replied back, "Go fetch the water yourself. I will not serve you."
Seeing that there was no use arguing, the princess dismounted Falada once more. But instead of just taking her cup with her, she also picked out a jug, and, when the waiting-woman was not looking, filled it up so that she might have something to drink as they continued.
When she mounted her horse again, he voice once again spoke into her mind and repeated the words, "If your mother knew what you had done, it would break her frail heart." The princess grew quite alarmed again and realized the mistake of her actions. She then realized it was the charm her mother gave her, the white cloth with the three drops of blood, that was speaking to her and attempting to keep her away from harm, as her mother had intended it to. Hiding the jug at her side, she continued on Falada with the waiting-woman.
The sun grew even hotter as the day grew on and the princess grew thirsty once more. Once she was sure the waiting-woman was right behind her and staring at her back, the princess took out her mug and drank to her heart's content. However, as she was doing so, her head had tilted back to let the water course down her throat and in the corner of her eye she could see the waiting-woman behind her. To her horror, she saw several caskets of wine and water and loaves of bread, cheese and fruit sticking out of the waiting-woman's bag. And, to her further dismay, she saw the haughty woman stuff her face with the food and guzzle down the wine and water at alarming rates, not once mentioning to the princess that they were even there.
All at once, the princess was filled with rage for the servant assigned to her that had done nothing to help her and behave poorly before her. "Doth not a servant serve their mistress? Surely not a common woman serve her future queen and do so in a polite, respectful manner," she thought. "Should not a servant be kind and not deceitful to the one she obeys and who takes care of her and her family in return?" All while she felt anger for her, a plan to teach the woman about obeying her mistress devised in her mind.
Eventually, they came across a sparkling lake. Here the princess halted and took out her jug and cup where she poured some of the water into it. She then held out the cup and called out to the woman, "Dear servant, please dismount and fill this cup with water from the lake so that I may not thirst no longer."
However, as the princess expected, the waiting-woman did not behave no better a third time. She laughed harshly and said, much ruder then last time, "If you wish to have water, then go down by the lake, lay down and drink from it like the beasts of the forests. I will not serve you."
Seeing that there was no chance at redeeming herself, the princess saw that the waiting-woman was no longer of any use to her. Turning Falada around and arming herself with the cup, she charged at the waiting-woman's horse and thrust the contents of the cup into the horse's face. The horse whinnied in surprise and reared up. The waiting-woman, heavy from stuffing her face with the princess's food and drink, fell off the horse immediately and landed down by the edge of the lake.
As the woman attempted to pick herself up, with some difficulty and nausea from gorging herself earlier, she looked up at the princess on the horse, grasping the reins of the other one. The sun in the sky was behind her head, darkening her face as the princess scowled at her.
"Conceited woman! Your supercilious actions have brought shame before you. You would had done better to yourself by obeying your princess's minor requests, but your arrogance and scornful actions are worth nothing more then treason." Despite the anger she felt towards the feckless woman, the princess was far from merciless. Guiding Falada forward, she let her hoof drop onto the woman's forehead, leaving a hoof-shaped mark on it.
As the princess moved back onto the path, she looked around and called out to the woman a last time. "Bearing the mark on your forehead, you shall no longer work for any princess, nor anyone of noble blood. You may find work elsewhere, for your services are no longer required." And with that, the princess rode off on Falada with the other horse, leaving the former waiting-woman in the dust and to find her own way on foot to civilization and to find another line of work.
Eventually, as the sun was just beginning to set down on the horizon, the princess could finally see her prince's castle in the distance and slowed the two horses to a slower trot. As they made their way towards the gates, Falada spoke up to her mistress.
"I don't understand why you didn't do that the first time she disobeyed you," the horse said. The princess simply sighed and shook her head.
"First I was shocked yet held onto hope, second I was irritated, third I expected and was ready. I had held onto the thoughts that she would redeem her former actions, but seeing as they were for naught and that she refused to obey me, I decided then to dismiss her and leave her behind," she replied. The horse snorted softly and bobbed her head.
"Well, I am pleased that you did do that while you did. Otherwise, something atrocious might had happened to you," Falada replied. The princess nodded and giggled slightly as several ideas came into her head.
"Indeed. Perhaps I might had lost the charm and she might had taken power over me and she threatened to kill me if we would not trade roles." She let out another laugh as they grew close to the castle. "Perhaps she might had forced me to become a goose girl and for you to have your head be cut off while she married the prince."
And Falada joined with the princess in laughter and the prevented fate as the came within the castle ground. Soon, the prince came out to greet his beloved and very soon they were married. And they all lived happily ever after, except the former waiting-woman who soon came into town and, once being seen with the mark on her forehead to show that she was feckless in her work, many turned her down and she soon grew poor and had to get work cleaning manure from the horse's stables.
You know, I actually wondered how the waiting-woman threatened the princess in the original story. Did she have a dagger, would she trample the princess with her horse, or what? Just how did she gain power over the princess when she lost the charm?
Anyways, hope you enjoyed reading my story. Please leave a review if you liked it and please feel to check out some of my other stories. Sincerely, v.t.7