The Goose Girl
There was once an old queen whose husband had been dead for many years, and she had a very beautiful daughter. When she grew up she was betrothed to a prince in a distant country. When the time came for the maiden to be sent into this distant country to be married, the old Queen packed up quantities of clothes and jewels, gold and silver, cups and ornaments, and in fact everything suitable to a royal outfit, for she loved her daughter very dearly.
She also sent I the waiting woman, to travel with her and place her hand into that of her bridegroom. Most would be pleased to hear all without my say so they feel the princess was the one hard done by. Although none no of the torment that spoiled brat put me through! We were both born of the same year and yet led such different lives, I watched as the princess grew to pampered and fancied over while I help my mother in her duties at the palace. I loved my mother dearly and we cared for each other very much, my mother had been one of the Queens ladies in waiting until she met my father and then she took on being a lowly servant. Alas! She was unable to take the strain of all the work the queen placed upon her, even more the strain placed upon her by the death of my father and raising me by herself although I was a very well behaved child I still was one none the less. The princess bullied me around when we were children and forced me to do pointless mean labor such as tending the geese and washing her golden cup even though it was perfectly clean.
The queen had sent me along to care for her daughter and stay with her in that faraway country. To prove how spoiled she was her mother gave her a horse that could speak! Also her mother the queen gave her three drops of her blood upon a small piece of cambric to further protect her! After we had gone a fair distance from the palace the princess had the gall to yell at me "Get down and fetch me some water in my cup from the stream. I must have something to drink!"
Hmph! I understand that I responded fairly rudely but who can blame me? I was telling the truth! I responded to her " If you are thirsty then dismount yourself, and lie down by the water, and drink. I don't choose to be your servant." As I said this was true as I never did choose to become her servant and one can only be bullied so far. I heard the cambric mumble some trash of her mother's grief at her daughter having to actually get her water on her own, stupid if you ask me. Soon after the princess was just "dying" of thirst again because it was so "scorching". Yet for some reason I hadn't even become the slightest bit thirsty yet. She then ordered me again "get down and give me some water in my golden cup." I answered to her " If you want to drink, get the water for yourself. I will not be your servant." Thus the princess dismounted again and cried "Ah me!" as she was so hard done because she had to fetch her own water. Yet again the cambric spoke of her mothers "grief" and then something interesting happened the cambric fell into the water and floated away. Only I noticed and could smile at this as the princess was far to dense to see her only real protection fall away in to the stream and realize how much power she lost.
Before the princess could mount I seized Falada and gave her the poor jade I'd been forced to ride upon. Later I ordered her to give me her royal robes in place of my own, and made hr swear before heaven that she would not tell a creature at the court what had taken place. Had she not taken the oath I might've killed her on the spot or left her alone in the desert if I was truly cruel. I knew Falada would mark this and decided he'd have to be put to the butcher's table once we reached the palace. The prince came and swept me off my horse as I arrived and held me close, it was love at first sight. I was brought upstairs to the bridal department and soon after the king came and asked me about the real princess I was kind and told him to just give her some work to keep her from becoming idle.
As you all know idle hands are those of the devils.
The king was truly a kind man who had no real use of another servant but decided to allow the princess to help out a young boy named Conrad tend the geese. A fitting chore for her, as she had made me do such many times before. Later Falada was placed to the death and I believed at least that was dealt with. I heard from Conrad that the princess slacked off at tending the geese spending her time tending her hair instead and teasing him. The prince and I loved each other very much and I could not be dishonest to him and told him what I'd done to the real princess and he said to me he loved me and not some goose girl. The prince and I lived happily until the King found out what had happened then my prince abandoned me as if he never knew and acted as if he cared for the goose girl.
A great banquet was held and many high-class people were there the king asked me "what does a person deserve that deserve that deceives his master?"
I answered this "No better than this: he must be put stark naked into a barrel stuck with nails, and be dragged along by two white horses from street to street till he is dead." I knew this would become my own fate but said it anyway first for the shock it would bring upon the guests and second for my prince, whom I knew still loved me dearly but was too afraid to face his father. As I expected the king boomed " then that is your own doom! And the judgment shall be carried out."
Now here's where the stories vary the most, yes, they pulled me from street to street stark naked in a barrel lined with nails but the king stopped this after an hour. Finding that I was still alive the king being the kind person he was and being aware that his son truly did love me could not continue the punishment any further. The prince tended to the wounds I had received and cared for me until I'd recovered. The princess was sent back home with one of the kings high guards to explain that some occurrences had went on and that his son refused to marry her having someone else he loved. As well he informed the queen that the woman in waiting had died. The princess never knew I had lived past the punishment. That is my story I bid you well and may inform you after that I lived happily ever after.
The End.
There was once an old queen whose husband had been dead for many years, and she had a very beautiful daughter. When she grew up she was betrothed to a prince in a distant country. When the time came for the maiden to be sent into this distant country to be married, the old Queen packed up quantities of clothes and jewels, gold and silver, cups and ornaments, and in fact everything suitable to a royal outfit, for she loved her daughter very dearly.
She also sent I the waiting woman, to travel with her and place her hand into that of her bridegroom. Most would be pleased to hear all without my say so they feel the princess was the one hard done by. Although none no of the torment that spoiled brat put me through! We were both born of the same year and yet led such different lives, I watched as the princess grew to pampered and fancied over while I help my mother in her duties at the palace. I loved my mother dearly and we cared for each other very much, my mother had been one of the Queens ladies in waiting until she met my father and then she took on being a lowly servant. Alas! She was unable to take the strain of all the work the queen placed upon her, even more the strain placed upon her by the death of my father and raising me by herself although I was a very well behaved child I still was one none the less. The princess bullied me around when we were children and forced me to do pointless mean labor such as tending the geese and washing her golden cup even though it was perfectly clean.
The queen had sent me along to care for her daughter and stay with her in that faraway country. To prove how spoiled she was her mother gave her a horse that could speak! Also her mother the queen gave her three drops of her blood upon a small piece of cambric to further protect her! After we had gone a fair distance from the palace the princess had the gall to yell at me "Get down and fetch me some water in my cup from the stream. I must have something to drink!"
Hmph! I understand that I responded fairly rudely but who can blame me? I was telling the truth! I responded to her " If you are thirsty then dismount yourself, and lie down by the water, and drink. I don't choose to be your servant." As I said this was true as I never did choose to become her servant and one can only be bullied so far. I heard the cambric mumble some trash of her mother's grief at her daughter having to actually get her water on her own, stupid if you ask me. Soon after the princess was just "dying" of thirst again because it was so "scorching". Yet for some reason I hadn't even become the slightest bit thirsty yet. She then ordered me again "get down and give me some water in my golden cup." I answered to her " If you want to drink, get the water for yourself. I will not be your servant." Thus the princess dismounted again and cried "Ah me!" as she was so hard done because she had to fetch her own water. Yet again the cambric spoke of her mothers "grief" and then something interesting happened the cambric fell into the water and floated away. Only I noticed and could smile at this as the princess was far to dense to see her only real protection fall away in to the stream and realize how much power she lost.
Before the princess could mount I seized Falada and gave her the poor jade I'd been forced to ride upon. Later I ordered her to give me her royal robes in place of my own, and made hr swear before heaven that she would not tell a creature at the court what had taken place. Had she not taken the oath I might've killed her on the spot or left her alone in the desert if I was truly cruel. I knew Falada would mark this and decided he'd have to be put to the butcher's table once we reached the palace. The prince came and swept me off my horse as I arrived and held me close, it was love at first sight. I was brought upstairs to the bridal department and soon after the king came and asked me about the real princess I was kind and told him to just give her some work to keep her from becoming idle.
As you all know idle hands are those of the devils.
The king was truly a kind man who had no real use of another servant but decided to allow the princess to help out a young boy named Conrad tend the geese. A fitting chore for her, as she had made me do such many times before. Later Falada was placed to the death and I believed at least that was dealt with. I heard from Conrad that the princess slacked off at tending the geese spending her time tending her hair instead and teasing him. The prince and I loved each other very much and I could not be dishonest to him and told him what I'd done to the real princess and he said to me he loved me and not some goose girl. The prince and I lived happily until the King found out what had happened then my prince abandoned me as if he never knew and acted as if he cared for the goose girl.
A great banquet was held and many high-class people were there the king asked me "what does a person deserve that deserve that deceives his master?"
I answered this "No better than this: he must be put stark naked into a barrel stuck with nails, and be dragged along by two white horses from street to street till he is dead." I knew this would become my own fate but said it anyway first for the shock it would bring upon the guests and second for my prince, whom I knew still loved me dearly but was too afraid to face his father. As I expected the king boomed " then that is your own doom! And the judgment shall be carried out."
Now here's where the stories vary the most, yes, they pulled me from street to street stark naked in a barrel lined with nails but the king stopped this after an hour. Finding that I was still alive the king being the kind person he was and being aware that his son truly did love me could not continue the punishment any further. The prince tended to the wounds I had received and cared for me until I'd recovered. The princess was sent back home with one of the kings high guards to explain that some occurrences had went on and that his son refused to marry her having someone else he loved. As well he informed the queen that the woman in waiting had died. The princess never knew I had lived past the punishment. That is my story I bid you well and may inform you after that I lived happily ever after.
The End.