The Goose Girl_The Goose-Girl
The Goose Girl
once upon a time an old queen,1 whose husband had been dead for many years, had a beautiful daughter.2 when she grew up she was betrothed23 to a prince4 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 costly3 baggage, and many ornaments4, gold and silver, trinkets and knicknacks,5 and, in fact, everything that belonged to a royal trousseau,6 for she loved her daughter very dearly. she gave her a waiting- maid7 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 horse8 was called falada,9 and could speak.10
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;11 then she held a white rag12 under them, and letting three drops of blood13 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."14
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 forth5 on the journey to her bridegroom's kingdom. after they had ridden for about an hour the princess began to feel very thirsty,15 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."16
"if you're thirsty," said the maid, "dismount yourself, and lie down by the water and drink;17 i don't mean to be your servant any longer."18 the princess was so thirsty that she got down, bent6 over the stream, and drank, for she wasn't allowed to drink out of the golden goblet7. 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."19
but the princess was meek8,20 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 smote9 fiercely on them, so that the princess was soon overcome by thirst again. and as they passed a brook10 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 haughtily11 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 bosom12 and floated down the stream, and she in her anxiety never even noticed her loss.21 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.22 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,23 and finally she made her swear by heaven not to say a word about the matter24 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 chamber13. in the meantime the real princess was left standing14 below in the courtyard. the old king,25 who was looking out of his window, beheld15 her in this plight16, 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."26 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,27 she'd better help him." the youth's name was curdken,28 and the real bride was made to assist him in herding18 geese.29
soon after this the false bride30 said to the prince: "dearest husband,31 i pray you grant me a favor." he answered: "that i will." "then let the slaughterer19 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 doomed20 to die.32
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 "kindly21 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 gateway22.
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,33 which was of pure gold.34 curdken loved to see it glitter in the sun, and wanted much to pull some hair out.35 then she spoke23:
"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."36#p#
then a gust24 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 herded25 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."37
then a puff26 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 herd17 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 iniquities27, 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:38
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;39 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 maiden28 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 confide29 my woes30 to anyone? for i swore not to by heaven,40 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 stove41 there," and he went away. then she crept to the stove, and began to sob31 and cry and to pour out her poor little heart, and said: "here i sit, deserted32 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 fulfill33 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 guise34 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,42 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.43 now when they had eaten and drunk, and were merry, the old king asked the waiting-maid to solve a knotty35 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 stark36 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."44
"you are the person," said the king, "and you have passed sentence on yourself; and even so it shall be done to you."45 and when the sentence had been carried out the young king was married to his real bride, and both reigned37 over the kingdom in peace and happiness.46
1. an old queen: we find few widowed queens and good mothers alive in romantic fairy tales. although she is alive in the tale, her ability to protect her daughter ends as soon as the daughter leaves the kingdom to be married. in essence, the mother is "dead" as soon as her daughter departs to begin her adult existence.
return to place in story.
2. a beautiful daughter: beauty often represents goodness, worthiness38, privilege, and wealth in fairy tales. princesses are especially expected to be beautiful. physical beauty is often considered to represent inner beauty in folklore39, except for when it is a magical disguise.
return to place in story.
3. betrothed: to betroth1 or become betrothed is "to contract to any one for a marriage; to engage or promise in order to marriage; to affiance" (webster's 1990).
in times past, a betrothal40, as the princess and prince are joined, was one step below a marriage, but still more legally and socially binding41 than a modern day engagement, often including a public ceremony and recognition of the couple as a legal entity42. the union was not supposed to be consummated43 until after a marriage ceremony had taken place. a betrothal also took legal action to break. you can read more about betrothals online at the 1911 edition encyclopedia44 entry for betrothal.
return to place in story.
4. a prince: a prince is the suitor and a common character in romantic fairy tales such as this one.
when fairy tales came into being "princes and princesses were as rare as they are today, and fairy tales simply abound45 with them. every child at some time wishes that he were a prince or a princess--and at times, in his unconscious, the child believes he is one, only temporarily degraded by circumstances. there are so many kings and queens in fairy tales because their rank signifies absolute power, such as the parent seems to hold over his child. so the fairy-tale royalty46 represent projections47 of the child's imagination" (bettelheim 1975).
return to place in story.
5. much costly baggage, and many ornaments, gold and silver, trinkets and knicknacks: the goose girl is not a peasant or lower class girl raised to a higher social standing, such as the heroine in east of the sun and west of the moon. she begins the story as a princess and ends it as one. the story is not the more inspiring rags-to-riches story, but a riches-to-rags-to-riches tale.
bettelheim also observes: "since all the treasure and jewels given the princess by her mother are of no help to her, this suggests that what a parent can give his child by way of earthly goods is of little aid if the child does not know how to use it well" (bettelheim 1975, 139).
return to place in story.
6. a royal trousseau: a trousseau is "the collective lighter48 equipments or outfit49 of a bride, including clothes, jewelry50, and the like; especially, that which is provided for her by her family" (webster's 1990).
return to place in story.
7. a waiting-maid: a lady in waiting is "a lady appointed to attend to a queen or princess" (wordnet). a lady in waiting was usually from the upper classes in a higher level of honorable servitude. a waiting-maid, on the other hand, would most likely be from the serving lower class.
return to place in story.
8. horse: horses are intelligent, strong animals highly valued and sometimes worshipped in numerous cultures. horses are often considered lucky in folklore.
return to place in story.#p#
9. falada: bettelheim conjectures51 that the name falada is "derived52 from the name of roland's horse, which in the chanson de roland is called valantin, valantis, valatin, etc." (betteleheim 1975, 317). bettelheim probably found this theory elsewhere, but does not cite a source. you can read an online version of the song of roland at berkeley university's online medieval and classical library.
the name falada has become well associated with this tale, however, and almost as easily identifies the story as the goose girl herself.
return to place in story.
10. could speak: animals with the ability to speak, and sometimes perform other human-like functions, are fairly common in fairy tales. the speaking animal is not usually surprising to the protagonist53 of the tale, but accepted as a common occurence despite the inability of other animals in the tale to speak. another popular occurence of a talking animal helper is the cat in puss in boots.
talking horses are popular in many cultures, even starring in a the television sitcom54, mister ed, in the united states in the 1960s.
return to place in story.
11. she cut her fingers till they bled: self-mutilation to provide protection or rescue for a loved one is not uncommon55 in fairy tales. the sister in the seven ravens56 cuts off her finger to use as key to rescue her enchanted57 brothers. the mother sheds blood to give birth and she sheds one blood one final time on behalf of her daughter in hopes of providing protection for her in the greater world. the mother in snow white and seven dwarfs58 also pricks59 her finger, albeit60 accidentally, and sheds three drops of blood before she gifts birth to her daughter.
return to place in story.
12. a white rag: the rag is more commonly translated as a handkerchief. a royal family would not need to give gifts of rags and a handkerchief is more commonly given as a token or memento61 to someone upon his or her departure. it can be an intimate item, often touching62 the skin, but free from the sexual connotations associated with other articles of clothing worn close to the skin. it is also small and easy to carry.
white symbolizes64 light, innocence65 and purity (matthews 1986). white is also associated with faith and peace.
return to place in story.
13. three drops of blood: blood is "the essence of life, a substance bound up in folk belief around the world with the continued life, health, courage and soul of all life" (jones 1995, 70). it is often considered to have magical qualities.
bettelheim supposes that the drops of blood "symbolize63 sexual maturity66, a special bond forged by a mother who is preparing her daughter to become sexually active" (bettelheim 1975, 139).
the reasons and theories behind three's popularity are numerous and spanerse. the number has been considered powerful across history in different cultures and religions, but not all of them. christians67 have the trinity, the chinese have the great triad (man, heaven, earth), and the buddhists68 have the triple jewel (buddha, dharma, sanga). the greeks had the three fates. pythagoras considered three to be the perfect number because it represented everything: the beginning, middle, and end. some cultures have different powerful numbers, often favoring seven, four and twelve.
return to place in story.
14. take great care of this rag: it may be of use to you on the journey: "prohibition/violation: these paired functions stand as one of the fairy tale's most fundamental plot sequences.... in fairy tales, violations69 of prohibitions70 are the order of the day" (tatar 1987, 165).
return to place in story.
15. princess began to feel very thirsty: uncontrolled thirstiness causes problems in another fairy tale, brother and sister.
return to place in story.
16. pray get down and fetch me some water in my golden cup out of yonder stream: i would like a drink: while this sounds like the demands of a spoiled child--and perhaps she is--these are the types of tasks excepted of a servant. the princess is not making an outrageous71 request by her standards.
return to place in story.
17. lie down by the water and drink: the princess is told to essentially72 behave like an animal to drink at the stream instead of using the golden cup she was given for such a task. by following this action, she debases herself and her position.
return to place in story.
18. i don't mean to be your servant any longer: the maid's actions are traitorous73. not only is she rebelling against her employer, but her sovereign, a crime punishable by death in these circumstances.
return to place in story.
19. if your mother only knew,/ her heart would surely break in two: this refrain is repeated often throughout the tale. it reminds us that while the princess is loved and cherished by someone, she can no longer rely on the protection of that love now that she is an adult and must fend74 for herself in the world.
perhaps the mother's heart would break in two not only from her daughter's circumstances, but her inability to escape them through her own efforts.
bettelheim observes: "to become himself, the child must face the trials of his life on his own; he cannot depend on the parent to rescue him from the consequences of his own weakness" (bettelheim 1975, 139).
return to place in story.
20. the princess was meek: meekness75, whatever the personal cost, was a highly prized quality in women in times past. while the princess may seem less sympathetic by today's standards thanks to her meekness/weakness, she would be a model of womenly virtue76 in some cultures. other critics state that she is timid in confronting her maid thanks to her own immaturity77. this is not a woman who is prepared to become a wife and queen.
return to place in story.
21. never even noticed her loss: like many children, the princess fails to recognize her mother's experience and wisdom. she doesn't value the gifts she received and thus loses the ability to use them for her benefit and protection. she must learn wisdom the hard way through her own experiences.
return to place in story.
22. in losing the drops of blood the princess had become weak and powerless: the princess has apparently78 always depended on her mother's protection and guidance. now that she has left it behind, she is no longer under anyone else's protection.
return to place in story.
23. to take off her royal robes, and to put on her common ones: being allowed to wear royal clothing is often a distinct honor. in times past, only royalty was allowed to wear certain items or colors by royal decree. no one was allowed to outdress or outshine members of the royal family in dress. the waiting-maid is lifting herself above her station.
return to place in story.
24. swear by heaven not to say a word about the matter: promises, while important today, were more powerful in the past when honor was a great motivator. also, before the time of literacy among the masses and written contracts, verbal promises were given greater weight. a promise was a contract and actionable by law if broken. folklore emphasizes the importance of a promise by meting79 punishment upon those who do not keep their promises. in this story, the oath spares the princess' life.
return to place in story.
25. the old king: this tale honors age and wisdom through the actions of the old king. he has the experience to see beyond the surface of the events surrounding him and ultimately helps restore the princess to her rightful position.
return to place in story.
26. may not be idle: "the devil finds work for idle hands"is a proverb that appeared in print in english in the early 18th century.
return to place in story.
27. geese: geese are associated with the "earth mother, maternity80, fertility, truth, love, constancy, vigilance, providence81, silliness, stupidity, female sexuality, wind, innocence, cowardice82, and the good housewife" (olderr 1986, 58)
return to place in story.
28. curdken: the name is most often translated as conrad, sometimes colin, in english versions of the tale.
return to place in story.
29. assist him in herding geese: from hence we get the story's title and temporary name of the protagonist. the princess has been brought low and made a goose girl.
return to place in story.
30. false bride: the false bride plot device "provides the dominant83 frame story of basile's firecracker of a collection of fairy tales, lo cunto de li cunti [also known as il pentamerone], in the seventeenth century. his group of female storytellers exchange many tales of substituted brides and false queens, and at the end actually unmask a similar wicked usurper84 prospering85 in their midst (warner 1994, 127).
return to place in story.
31. dearest husband: it was appropriate for a betrothed couple to call each other husband and wife although the union was not supposed to be consummated until after a marriage ceremony had taken place. you can read more about betrothals online at the 1911 edition encyclopedia entry for betrothal.
return to place in story.
32. faithful falada was doomed to die: falada, the dear horse, is doomed to die from the princess' inability to assert herself or use her imagination. her request to have falada's head nailed above the gate shows little imagination. she uses her gold to keep the head nearby, not to spare the horse's life. still, even this bribe86 and saving of falada's head shows the most initiative she has had in the story so far.
return to place in story.
33. she sat down and unloosed her hair: this scene is the most popular among illustrators of the tale, even over the gorier87 images of falada's head. to see many illustrators' visions for this scene, visit the illustrations of the goose girl page.
return to place in story.#p#
34. pure gold: the goose girl is blonde. golden hair has magical qualities in some cultures while it also represents the illuminated88 beauty of those it graces. blonde hair often symbolizes ethical89 goodness as well as aesthethic appeal (tatar 2002).
gold represents virtue, intelligence, superiority, heaven, worldly wealth, idolatry, revealed truth, marriage, and fruitfulness (olderr 1986).
return to place in story.
35. wanted much to pull some hair out: human hair has been valued for centuries. in many european cultures, hair was given as love tokens. it was also used to create jewelry and remembrance tokens of dead loved ones.
return to place in story.
36. 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:
the goose girl is finally gaining some autonomy. she is able to cast a simple spell, using her own magic, to save her hair from curdken's attentions. this spell also brings her to the attention of the old king and helps him to recognize that she must be more than she appears. she is gaining some maturity through her adversity.
according to bettelheim, the golden cup and the golden hair provide the same challenge to the princess. while she allowed her golden cup to be taken away earlier, she is now protecting her golden hair from a similar fate. her "different reactions to similar situations" show her increasing maturity (bettelheim 1975, 142-3).
return to place in story.
37. plaited in a crown: plaits, also known as braids, can be created in various styles. the most common interweaves three sections of hair into a thicker, stronger rope of hair. in many cultures, young girls would wear their braids down, while women would wear their hair pinned up as a sign of maturity.
return to place in story.
38. princess fair: while falada is usually considered an animal helper in this tale, an opposite entity to the false bride, the horse does very little to help the girl besides provide her comfort and inadvertantly identify her as a princess before the hidden king. the horse does not actively90 connive91 to help the princess, like the animal helper in puss in boots.
return to place in story.
39. as usual next day: here we have another pattern of three example. while the story implies these activities have been occuring for a while, the tale recounts the same activities--falada's greeting and the goose girl's grooming--three times. the third time provides change with the king's observation of the events.
the number and/or pattern of three often appears in fairy tales to provide rhythm and suspense92. the pattern adds drama and suspense while making the story easy to remember and follow. the third event often signals a change and/or ending for the listener/reader. a third time also disallows93 coincidence such as two repetitive events would suggest.
return to place in story.
40. i swore not to by heaven: "despite great hardship, the princess keeps her promise not to reveal to any human being what has happened to her; thus she proves her moral virtue, which finally brings about retribution and a happy ending. here the dangers which the heroine must master are inner ones: not to give in to the temptation to reveal the secret" (bettelheim 1975, 137).
while i admire the goose girl's forbearance, i am not sure i agree that keeping the secret was her best choice. she was forced to make this promise under dishonest and possibly violent circumstances entirely94 against her will. such a promise should not be kept, especially when it allows an imposter to flourish.
some modern interpretations95 of the tale, such as shannon hale's excellent novel, explain that the goose girl doesn't reveal her true identity because she fears no one will believe her. she awaits the best opportunity to reveal her identity with the least amount of blood shed available.
return to place in story.
41. iron stove: the iron stove, as an inanimate object, is safe for the goose girl to tell her problems to without breaking her vow96. if we are really generous, we can imagine she knows that the king will listen, but she will technically97 not be breaking her promise, so her moral virture will be intact. the iron stove provides a release in an entirely different way in hansel and gretel where it becomes the weapon used to destory the wicked witch. stoves are often consired to be symbolic98 of the womb and birth.
return to place in story.
42. learned how good she was: one can imagine, as do many modern authors, a demanding, vicious maid giving headaches to the young king and the royal staff. perhaps he is relieved to learn that this less demanding princess is his true bride instead of the shrewish harpy he has been living with.
return to place in story.
43. she did not recognize the princess in her glittering garments: a suspension of belief is required for this frequent fairy tale plot device. the sisters in cinderella do not recognize their sister in her splendor99 and now the waiting-maid does not recognize the princess despite having seen her in royal attire100 previously101. but then again, no one ever recognizes superman behind clark kent's glasses either.
return to place in story.
44. 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: this is an exceptionally cruel punishment and means of death, exemplifying the false bride's vicious nature. it also shows her limited range of imagination. while she can imagine such a horrendous102 punishment, she cannot imagine it being inflicted103 upon herself. she has no compassion104 and only wants to see her competition destroyed. she cannot even recognize her own story as the king recounts it to her. she is a bully105, not a cunning villain106.
return to place in story.
45. you have passed sentence on yourself; and even so it shall be done to you: full justice is served by having the maid choose her own punishment. according to bettelheim, "the message is that evil intentions are the evil person's own undoing107" (bettelheim 1975, 141).
return to place in story.
46. both reigned over the kingdom in peace and happiness: thus they are married and live happily ever after in true fairy tale fashion. note also that they cannot live happily ever after until the villain has been destroyed and removed from their lives.
return to place in story.
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 betrothed1 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 costly2 baggage, and many ornaments3, gold and silver, trinkets and knickknacks, 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 forth4 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, bent5 over the stream, and drank, for she wasn't allowed to drink out of the golden goblet6. 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 meek7, 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 smote8 fiercely on them, so that the princess was soon overcome by thirst again. and as they passed a brook9 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 haughtily10 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 bosom11 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 chamber12. in the meantime the real princess was left standing13 below in the courtyard. the old king, who was looking out of his window, beheld14 her in this plight15, 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 herding17 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 slaughterer18 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 doomed19 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 "kindly20 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 gateway21.
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 gust22 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 herded23 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 puff24 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 herd16 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 iniquities25, 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 maiden26 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 confide27 my woes28 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 sob29 and cry and to pour out her poor little heart, and said: "here i sit, deserted30 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 fulfil 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 guise31 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 knotty32 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 stark33 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 reigned34 over the kingdom in peace and happiness.
The Goose and the Swan
a certain rich man reared a goose and a swan, the one for his
table, the other because she was reputed a good singer. one night
when the cook went to kill the goose he got hold of the swan
instead. thereupon the swan, to induce him to spare her life,
began to sing; but she saved him nothing but the trouble of killing1
her, for she died of the song.
The Swan and the Goose
a certain rich man bought in the market a goose and a swan. he
fed the one for his table and kept the other for the sake of its
song. when the time came for killing1 the goose, the cook went to
get him at night, when it was dark, and he was not able to
distinguish one bird from the other. by mistake he caught the
swan instead of the goose. the swan, threatened with death,
burst forth2 into song and thus made himself known by his voice,
and preserved his life by his melody.
The Golden Goose
there was a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was called dummling,2 and was despised, mocked, and put down on every occasion.3
it happened that the eldest1 wanted to go into the forest4 to hew2 wood, and before he went his mother gave him a beautiful sweet cake5 and a bottle of wine in order that he might not suffer from hunger or thirst.
when he entered the forest there met him a little grey-haired old man6 who bade him good-day, and said, "do give me a piece of cake out of your pocket, and let me have a draught3 of your wine; i am so hungry and thirsty." but the prudent7 youth answered, "if i give you my cake and wine, i shall have none for myself; be off with you," and he left the little man standing5 and went on.
but when he began to hew down a tree,8 it was not long before he made a false stroke, and the axe9 cut him in the arm,10 so that he had to go home and have it bound up. and this was the little grey man's doing.11
after this the second son went into the forest, and his mother gave him, like the eldest, a cake and a bottle of wine. the little old grey man met him likewise, and asked him for a piece of cake and a drink of wine. but the second son, too, said with much reason, "what i give you will be taken away from myself;12 be off!" and he left the little man standing and went on. his punishment,13 however, was not delayed; when he had made a few strokes at the tree he struck himself in the leg,14 so that he had to be carried home.
then dummling said, "father, do let me go and cut wood." the father answered, "your brothers have hurt themselves with it, leave it alone, you do not understand15 anything about it." but dummling begged so long that at last he said, "just go then, you will get wiser by hurting yourself." his mother gave him a cake made with water and baked in the cinders7,16 and with it a bottle of sour beer.
when he came to the forest the little old grey man met him likewise, and greeting him, said, "give me a piece of your cake and a drink out of your bottle; i am so hungry and thirsty." dummling answered, "i have only cinder-cake and sour beer; if that pleases you, we will sit down and eat."17 so they sat down, and when dummling pulled out his cinder-cake, it was a fine sweet cake, and the sour beer had become good wine. so they ate and drank, and after that the little man said, "since you have a good heart, and are willing to spanide what you have, i will give you good luck. there stands an old tree,18 cut it down, and you will find something at the roots." then the little man took leave of him.
dummling went and cut down the tree, and when it fell there was a goose19 sitting in the roots with feathers of pure gold.20 he lifted her up, and taking her with him, went to an inn where he thought he would stay the night. now the host had three daughters,.21 who saw the goose and were curious to know what such a wonderful bird might be, and would have liked to have one of its golden feathers.
the eldest thought, "i shall soon find an opportunity of pulling out a feather," and as soon as dummling had gone out she seized the goose by the wing, but her finger and hand remained sticking fast to it.22
the second came soon afterwards, thinking only of how she might get a feather for herself, but she had scarcely touched her sister than she was held fast.
at last the third also came with the like intent, and the others screamed out, "keep away; for goodness' sake keep away!" but she did not understand why she was to keep away. "the others are there,"23 she thought, "i may as well be there too," and ran to them; but as soon as she had touched her sister, she remained sticking fast to her. so they had to spend the night with the goose.
the next morning dummling took the goose under his arm and set out, without troubling himself about the three girls who were hanging on to it. they were obliged to run after him continually, now left, now right, just as he was inclined to go.
in the middle of the fields the parson24 met them, and when he saw the procession he said, "for shame, you good-for-nothing girls, why are you running across the fields after this young man? is that seemly?" at the same time he seized the youngest by the hand in order to pull her away, but as soon as he touched her he likewise stuck fast, and was himself obliged to run behind.
before long the sexton25 came by and saw his master, the parson, running behind three girls. he was astonished at this and called out, "hi, your reverence8, whither away so quickly? do not forget that we have a christening to-day!" and running after him he took him by the sleeve, but was also held fast to it.
whilst the five were trotting9 thus one behind the other, two labourers26 came with their hoes from the fields; the parson called out to them and begged that they would set him and the sexton free. but they had scarcely touched the sexton when they were held fast, and now there were seven27 of them running behind dummling and the goose.#p#
soon afterwards he came to a city,28 where a king29 ruled who had a daughter who was so serious that no one could make her laugh. so he had put forth10 a decree that whosoever should be able to make her laugh should marry her.30 when dummling heard this, he went with his goose and all her train before the king's daughter, and as soon as she saw the seven people running on and on, one behind the other, she began to laugh quite loudly,31 and as if she would never leave off. thereupon dummling asked to have her for his wife, and the wedding was celebrated11. after the king's death, dummling inherited the kingdom32 and lived a long time contentedly13 with his wife.
1. the golden goose: the source for this tale is family hassnpflug (zipes, complete, 731).
return to place in story.
2. the youngest of whom was called dummling: sometimes the translations of the tale call the youngest son "simpleton". bruno bettelheim sees the number three as representing the ego14, super-ego, and id (102). bettelheim sees the simpleton character as "the fairy tale's rendering15 of the original debilitated16 state of the ego as it begins its struggle to cope with inner world of drives and with the difficult problems which the outer world presents" (75).
return to place in story.
3. despised, mocked, and put down: bettelhiem points out that the simpleton's unhappiness in not mentioned or dwelled upon (103) and "his being considered stupid is stated as a fact of life which does not seem to concern him much" (103). it is possible that the simpleton (dummling) represents or functions as a child's feelings of inadequacy17 in relation to the world (bettelheim 103-104).
return to place in story.
4. the forest: the forest in fairy tales functions as a place of change. it has all of ". . . the symbols of all the dangers with which young people must deal if they are to survive their rite12 of passage and become more responsible adults" (biedermann 141).
return to place in story.
5. a beautiful sweet cake: the jack18 zipes edition of the tale gives pancake instead (complete 256).
while wine does have symbolic19 associations (particularly as the blood of christ or other sacrifices [biedermann 383]), it seems used to show preference here. the cake and the wine show how much the mother values her eldest sons.
return to place in story.
6. little grey- haired man: an old man was ". . . regarded as the personification of the age-old wisdom of humanity or the collective unconscious" (cirlot 243).
the jack zipes' edition uses the term "dwarf20" here (complete 256). [see below for more]
return to place in story.
7. prudent4: while being prudent is usually a good thing, here it backfires. the eldest son is too prudent; he lacks compassion21 or charity. because of this he fails what maria tater calls "the test of compassion" (284) that the old man offers him.
in addition, the young man's response is rude and dismissive.
return to place in story.
8. hew down a tree: a tree can symbolize22 an upward trend (cirlot 347), which does not occur to either of the eldest brothers.
return to place in story.
9. axe6: the axe is connected to the saints joseph and boniface [see below] (biedermann 23). both elder sons lack compassion and charity which the saints exhibited.
return to place in story.
10. cut him in the arm: the arm is a symbol for activity (cirlot 19).
return to place in story.
11. this was the little gray man's doing: it is unclear what exactly the little man is supposed to be. zipes, as seen above, uses the term dwarf. according to thomas keightley, who got most of his german fairy information from books by the grimms (216), dwarfs23 were considered to be ". . . beneficent and willingly serve those who have the good fortune to please them" (216). dwarfs also gave valuable presents to agreeable strangers (keightley 217). keightley also writes that the dwarfs near hartz in germany were not to be provoked because they would injury the offender24 (224). there is also a theory that dwarfs are related to the dead (lindahl et al 112).
it is clear that the old gray man is something other than a plain human being. it is possible that he is a wild (also called wood, timber or moss25) person. keightley writes that the wild people ". . . generally live together in society, but they sometimes appear singly. they are small in stature26, yet somewhat larger than the elf, being the size of children three years [old], gray and old looking hairy men and clad in moss" (230). according to keightley, however, the women were the ones who were said to appear to woodcutters and beg for food, not the male moss people (230). most of the stories keightley has about moss people are about females; however, the stories do connect moss people, trees, and gold. in particular, keightley relates a story of a human woman who helped a moss woman and was rewarded with a piece of bark (230). when the woman broke the bark, it turned to gold (keightley 230).
return to place in story.
12. what i give you will be taken away from myself: the response of the middle son is even ruder than the response of the eldest son.
return to place in story.#p#
13. his punishment: the story makes it clear that the sons are being punished for their treatment of the old gray haired man.
return to place in story.
14. leg: the leg is associated with firmness (cirlot 181).
return to place in story.
15. you do not understand: the father does not seem overly concerned about his third son. his response conveys that since the smarter ones failed so to must the younger one.
return to place in story.
16. cinders: a plain, ill tasting, cake with cheap drink. the association with cinders makes dummling a male cinderella (tater 283). however, ". . . he does not have to sit at home in the ashes, and instead, with a little prodding27 manages to leave home and seek his fortune" (tater 284).
ashes are a symbol of mourning, death, as well as a rite of passage (biedermann 20).
return to place in story.
17. we will sit down and eat: dummling passes the test that his brothers fail. tater notes that "a test of compassion posed early on in the tale determines whether the hero is eligible28 to carry out 'impossible tasks' "(284).
dummling's first reward is better food than what his mother gave him.
return to place in story.
18. an old tree: tater connects the tree to yggdrasil, the world or cosmic tree (285). yggdrasil and similar trees are common in many legends (cotterell, storm 253). such trees produce magic fruit, water, honey, gold or silver as well as housing magical animals or beings (cotterell, storm 252-253).
the use of the axe to cut down the tree, leading to the discovery of the goose, could connect dummling to saint boniface. saint boniface, whose symbol is the axe, cut down a tree that was sacred to the god thor without any harming befalling him (jones 55). the connection to a saint could be made though the symbolism of gold [see below].
return to place in story.
19. goose: a goose is usually associated with women and the household (biedermann 156). a foolish person is sometimes called a goose, or a silly goose (evans 476). dummling could be considered a 'silly goose".
jack zipes considers the goose "a phallic symbol associated with magic powers" (the great fairy tale 678) when used in humorous stories.
the goose can also be associated with perfection and the holy ghost (barley 265).
return to place in story.
20. feathers of pure gold: feathers are considered an element of air and are connected to contemplation and faith (cirlot 103). feathers are also a characteristic of lightness (biedermann 137).
gold is considered to be superior. it can also be viewed as "the essential element in the symbolism of the hidden or elusive29 treasure which is an illustration of fruits of the spirit and supreme30 illumination" (cirlot 120). dummling gets the goose because he has a generous spirit. gold is also "the image of solar light and hence of the spanine intelligence "(cirlot 119).
the golden goose itself ". . . leads to what folklorists call incremental31 repetition in which each new event builds on the previous one" (tater 283).
return to place in story.
21. three daughters: similar to the three sons in the beginning of the tale. they would also be somewhat higher in class to dummling.
return to place in story.
22. sticking fast to it: tater points out that the sisters are punished for their curiosity (284).
return to place in story.#p#
23. others are there: neither of the younger sisters has any sense. instead of questioning or even noticing that the preceding girls are stuck to the geese, the last two sisters reach out to take a feather, even when they are warned.
the youngest sister basically exhibits behavior similar to that of dummling's at the beginning of the tale. the difference is that the youngest girl, like her two sisters, is motivated by greed and just tries to take.
return to place in story.
24. the parson: the rector (oxford 600). he is in charge of the church (oxford 699). the parson is of higher rank and authority than dummling. unlike the three sisters, the parson is motivated by a desire to enforce proper conduct (as he sees it).
return to place in story.
25. the sexton: an official who looks after the church (oxford 764). like his superior, he is not motivated by greed but by proper conduct or place.
return to place in story.
26. two laborers32: perhaps the lowest rank, but they have the truest intentions. they desire to help and not to take or enforce conduct.
return to place in story.
27. seven: a sacred/mythological number (evans 984). it is also symbol of the perfect cycle or period, and the symbol of pain (cirlot 233).
return to place in story.
28. city: according to cirlot "jung sees the city as a mother-symbol and as a symbol of the feminine principle" (49).
return to place in story.
29. king: besides being the end point of the man's travels, the king functions "as an archetype in the psyche's great store of inherited symbols of higher power and wisdom" (biedermann 196).
return to place in story.
30. should marry her: zipes points out that wandering protagonist's goals tend to be "money, power, and a woman" (fairy tales and art 70).
return to place in story.
31. began to laugh quite loudly: bettelheim believes that making the princess laugh is to "free her emotionally" (186 and that "this is frequently achieved by the hero's making persons who normally command respect look ridiculous" (186).
tater sees the refusal to laugh as comic relief (286).
return to place in story.
32. inherited the kingdom: zipes notes that "becoming king or prince at the end of a grimms' tale is a socially symbolic act of achieving self-mastery - as well as mastery over outside forces that include women and nature" (the brothers 98). the tale could be seen as the advancement33 of the lower classes. zipes writes, "lower-class members become members of the ruling elite34 but this occurs because the ruling classes need such values that were being cultivated by the bourgeoisie-thrift, industry, patience, obedience35, and so forth" (fairy tales and art 71).
in some versions (translations) of the grimm story, dummling must do other tasks to win the princess after making her laugh. this occurs because the king does not want dummling as a son-in-law. the addition tasks including finding a man who can drink a cellar of win dry, a man who can eat a "mountain of bread" (zipes, complete, 259), and a ship that works on both land and water. dummling is able to do this with the help of the man in the forest. after completely the third task, dummling is allowed to marry the princess. this longer version appears in both tater and zipes' editions of the grimms.
return to place in story.
The goose with the golden eggs 生
one morning a countryman went to his goose's nest, and saw a yellow and glittering1 egg there.
he took the egg home. to his delight, he found that it was an egg of pure gold.
every morning the same thing occurred, and he soon became rich by selling his eggs.
the countryman became more and more greedy. he wanted to get all the gold at once, so he killed the goose, when he looked inside, he found nothing in its body.
一天早晨，一位农夫发现自家的鹅窝中有一只金灿灿的蛋。
他将蛋带回家，惊喜地发现这是一个金蛋。
此后，农夫每天都能得到一个金蛋。从此，他靠卖他的金蛋变得富有起来。
农夫变得越来越贪婪，他想一下子得到鹅肚子中所有的金蛋。于是他杀死了鹅，但是，鹅肚子中什么也没有。
The Girl in the Pagoda
a beautiful girl lived in luoyang. there was1 a very tall pagoda2（宝塔） in the city. one day, it was very hot. the girl sat3 under a big tree.
suddenly4 a big wind came5 and took6 her into the sky.
the girl's family was very sad.
when the girl opened her eyes, she was at the top of the pagoda. a young man was in front of her.
"will you marry7 me?" asked the young man. "no, i won't," said8 the girl. "i want to go home."
the young man was angry. "then you will stay in this pagoda," he said.
every day the young man visited the girl. but the girl still didn't want to marry the young man.
one day, the window of the pagoda was open. the girl looked out. the young man was now a monster9! the girl was very frightened10.
later11, the girl saw12 a kind man below13 the pagoda. "help! help!" she said. the man didn't hear her. so the girl threw her clothes out of the window. the man saw the clothes. then he looked up and saw the girl at the top of the pagoda. he ran14 for help.
the next day everyone went to the pagoda to help the girl. when the girl's brother saw the monster, he hit it. the monster flew15 away in the shy16.
then they saved17 the girl. "i missed you so much," said the girl to her brother. everyone in the village sang18 and danced for many days.
The Man and his Goose
"see these valuable golden eggs," said a man that owned a goose.
"surely a goose which can lay such eggs as those must have a gold
mine inside her."
so he killed the goose and cut her open, but found that she was
just like any other goose. moreover1, on examining the eggs that
she had laid he found they were just like any other eggs.
The Greyhound And The Green Girl
there was once a king in the highlands who had a quarrel with a wizard. now wizards are uncanny people to quarrel with, and if the queen been alive she would no doubt have persuaded the king to " let sleeping dogs lie," as they say. instead of which the king called the wizard a scoundrel and declared that he would be revenged on him. how it happened we do not know—whether the wizard killed the king or whether he only willed his death—but the king died very suddenly, leaving his son fergus and his daughter fiona alone. they had a big old castle, but not much money—for the king was poor, as kings go; and they had few friends, and no servants—so they felt very desolate1 indeed.
the wizard came to see them, and he said pityingly: "poor young things! although your father, the king, quarrelled with me, i should like to be your friend," and fiona was grateful for his kindness.
but fergus distrusted the wizard, and felt sure that he only wanted to get possession of the golden sceptre and the inlaid sword that were the dead king's greatest treasures. so he stole out in the night, carrying the sword and the sceptre. he made for beinn ghloine, the nearest mountain, which was a very difficult hill to climb, because at all times of the year it had a glassy surface like ice.
but fergus knew it well, and he soon reached the cairn on the top. he pulled the cairn down, stone by stone, placed the sceptre and the sword at its base, and rebuilt it. and then, tired out with all his exertion2, he lay down and fell asleep.
the wizard, meanwhile, had wakened, and finding fergus' bed empty, he thought:
"what can that lad be doing at this time of night? i must go after him and find out."
he traced fergus by his footprints on the dewy grass right to the foot of beinn ghloine, which he proceeded to climb. he took a very long time to reach the mountaintop, but when he got up, there was fergus, lying sound asleep, and at his mercy.
"aha! i have you now! " he snarled3, and he began to chant a horrid4 spell, as he made some waving motions over the sleeping boy.
and poor fergus woke to find that the wizard had turned him into a greyhound, and in that form he had to retrace5 his way down the mountain-side.
the wizard now turned his attention to fiona, who was a very pretty girl with a skin like milk and roses. he did not change her form, but he changed her colour to grass green, and he roared with laughter when he saw the result.
"look you!" he said to the brother and sister. "look at the bonny pair of you now! you will never become as you were, unless and until—and indeed it is not very likely to happen—you, fergus, can find a beautiful girl who will of her own free will marry a greyhound! and until you, fiona, have nursed three children of a king's son, and got a kiss from a king's lips. until that happens, the bones of your father must lie unburied ! "
time went on, and the king of a far-away region of the higklands set out with his followers7 to make war on a neighbouring king. they were marching among the hills when a great mist came down and veiled the mountains, so that they could not tell in what direction the were going at all. one wandered here to seek the road, and another wandered there; and although the king kept calling to them to keep together, they soon got separated.
the first time he called, three hundred voices answered him. the second time, only thirty replied; then only three; and at last, none at all ! so there he was—a king without a single follower6, and he not even knowing where his kingdom lay! he wandered up and down, and at last he came to the castle where the greyhound and the green girl lived.
they gave him food and a bed, and the tired king slept for many hours. next day, when he was looking about the castle grounds, he saw some bones lying in a corner and he began to kick them idly. to his surprise the greyhound sprang at him angrily, and, finding his tongue, he said to the king: "touch not the bones of my father!"
"but why do you not bury your father's bones?" asked the astonished king.
"alas8! there is a spell upon me," said the greyhound, "and i may not bury the bones until some girl will, of her own free will, marry me as i am. look at me and tell me if that is likely to happen!"
"well," said the king, "i have three daughters who are all beautiful. when i go back to my kingdom i will try to convince one of them to come here and break the spell by marrying you. shall i go and fetch one of them now?"
"no, no!" said the greyhound. "we might never set eyes on you again! i'll tell you what—i shall keep you here as a hostage and send a message to your daughters to come and free you. my sister will put on her shoes that run by themselves where they are bidden, and she will soon bring them to you!"
so the green girl put on the shoes that run by themselves and, covering her face with a veil, she set out for the far-away kingdom. and, in response to the king's urgent message, his three daughters returned with the green girl.
when he told them why he had sent for them the two eldest9 were very indignant. "really, father! you must be in your dotage10 to imagine that one of us would consent to marry a greyhound!" they said. "in any case, you have only his word that marriage would restore him to human form—and besides which he is nothing to us."
but the youngest daughter, who loved her father dearly, said she would remain at the castle as a hostage until the end of the year, when surely one of her sisters would be willing to take her place. so she stayed on, and she and the green girl slept in the same room, guarded every night by the greyhound.
when the king returned at the end of the year he was alone, and the youngest daughter said: "why have you not brought one of my sisters to take my place?"
"because they both refused to accompany me," the king answered.
and the youngest daughter said bravely: "well, father, i might be worse off than i am. the green girl is certainly ugly, but she cannot help it; and she and the greyhound have both been very kind to me. so, my dear father, for your sake i will marry the greyhound and you can return to your kingdom."
the green girl joyfully11 fetched a priest, and while the marriage ceremony was going on the youngest daughter stood with her eyes closed, that she might not see her strange bridegroom. and when she heard him say, " look at me, my little wife," it was an effort for her to open them. but they opened very wide indeed, for there stood before her the handsomest young man she had ever seen! her consent to marry him had restored his own shape to the greyhound, who was once more fergus, the king's son, and the bride was now full of happiness.
fergus went and fetched two treasures to show to his father-in-law---the golden sceptre and the inlaid sword that he had buried unuer the cairn on beinn ghloine. and he was thankful that he could now bury his father's bones.
when the king returned, well pleased, to his kingdom and told his elder daughters how happy their sister was, they were full of envy. one of them said spitefully:"well, she may have got her prince, but it will be very unpleasant to have to live with a grass-green sister-in-law! "
but the king told them that the green girl was no longer in the castle, for she' had gone to live at the foot of beinn ghloine.
the two jealous sisters made a wicked plan—that, if a child should come to their sister, one of them would steal it away from her. and sure enough, when a babe was born to fergus and his wife, the eldest sister came secretly to the castle and stole to the room where the baby was. she opened the door stealthily, and was creeping up to the cradle in which it lay, when a green hand came in at the window and lifted out the child before she could reach it. so the eldest sister had to return home and confess that her plot had failed.
the same thing happened in the case of two other babes, the green girl rescuing them from the envious12 sisters just in time; and with the rescue of the third babe half the spell that the wizard had put upon fiona was broken, because now she had nursed three babes of a king's son.
she gave back the children to the young couple, who were frantic13 with joy at their recovery, and when they heard the story the youngest sister said: "our father must be told what my sisters have done," and she asked the green girl to carry a message to the king, asking him to return with her.
so fiona once more put on the shoes that run by themselves and went off to fetch the king.
when they were nearing the castle the king said to fiona: "a heaviness has come over me. i must lie down and sleep for a while." and he lay down at the foot of beinn ghloine and went off to sleep.
scarcely had his eyes closed when a gentle voice from the top of the mountain said:
"fiona, i have long watched for a chance to help you, and now it has come! i am the fairy of the mist that hovers14 round beinn ghloine, and if you will climb the mountain i will give you a cup of wine distilled15 from mist, which is one of the things that the wizard has no csntrol over. then, if you can get back to the king and make him drink the wine on his awaking, the wizard's spell may be broken. you must also get the king to give you a kiss before you can regain16 your old form, but that you can manage for yourself!"
fiona, of course, began to climb beinn ghloine at once, and though she often slid back she reached the top at last; and there, in the mist that hovers around the mountain-top, stood a cup of golden wine.
she looked about for the fairy, but a voice said: "you need not look for me, fiona. i am an invisible fairy, the spirit of the mist. so take the cup and return as fast as possible, for i think the king is about to waken."
and the green girl, holding the cup with its precious contents very carefully, slid down the mountain-side and reached the king just as his eyelids17 began to flicker18.
"oh dear! i am so thirsty!" he murmured.
"then drink, sire!" said the green girl tremulously as she held out the cup of wine. he drank it, and lying back with closed eyes, he said:
"if only you were not green, i should give you a kiss for that delicious wine. it has made me feel quite young again!
"you could kiss me without looking at me," said poor fiona, terrified that the fairy's plans would not succeed.
"so i could and so i will," said the king, "for something in the wine told me to."
closing his eyes he drew fiona to him and kissed her lips; and when he opened his eyes, expecting to see the green girl, what was his amazement19 to see instead a lovely blushing creature with a skin of milk and roses!
"where is the green girl ? " he asked, looking about him.
"i am she," said the happy fiona. " i am free now from the spell that the wizard cast over me, for i have nursed the three babes of a king's son, and i have received a kiss from a king's lips!"
"fiona," said the king wistfully, "if i were not too old for you, i should like to make you my queen, for i love you!"
"but, sire," said fiona shyly, "you look every bit as young as my brother, fergus."
and a voice said from the mist that hovered20 round beinn ghloine:
"take your bride, o king, for i have lifted half your years from you that you may make fiona happy. the wizard can never again harm her, for both of his spells have been broken. and from now onwards the fairy of the mist that hovers round beinn ghloine will make life golden for the girl with the skin of milk and roses that was known as the green girl."
The Giant and the Little Girl
there once was a place where all the people were happy and content. everyone was friendly and neighborly. even the dogs and cats played together.
then one day a stranger was seen walking toward the village: a tall, tall stranger. as the stranger, who was a giant, came closer and closer, the people all ran into their houses and wouldn't come out.
the giant entered the village. he was enormous, towering over everything. all of a sudden a little girl stepped out on her porch1. she jumped down from her porch. her family yelled2, "stop! come back! that's a giant!" but she didn't stop. she began to walk toward the giant.
the strangest thing happened. as the child walked toward the giant, he grew smaller and smaller. soon he was the same size as the girl. as she came beside the giant, she towered over him. she stooped down and gently picked the giant up in her hands, asking, "what's your name?"
the giant whispered, "my name is f-e-a-r! help me!! i have a terrible problem. i guess i look strange. when i meet people they are afraid of me. and when people are afraid of me, i suddenly grow into a giant and everybody runs away from me. you are not afraid of me, so i stayed small. do you get it? it's crazy! please help me!"
"i can take you for a walk through our village," the girl responded. "i want everyone to hear of your problem. when they know the truth, they will no longer be afraid of you. while we are going from house to house you can look at me all the time, and then you will stay the same size as you are now.
"but before we go, let's change your name. what do you want to be called? you should not be called fear, because you are not afraid. it's the people who look at you who fear you. that's what causes you to grow into a giant."
"will you hold my hand gently? if i get scared i'll shut my eyes. oh, and will you please call me pal3."
