The Goose Girl(Part2)

Once upon a time, a girl leaned forward to drink water, causing a handkerchief and three drops of blood from her body to fall into the stream, unnoticed due to her overwhelming sorrow. The current carried them away, but the maid saw it and rejoiced at the opportunity to take control of the girl’s fiancé and have him at her command. The girl, weakened by the loss of blood, lost her strength to resist. When she attempted to mount the horse, the maid declared, “Falada is mine, and your old mare is for you.” The girl was thus forced to comply. The maid then cruelly ordered her to remove her royal clothes and wear the maid’s attire, also demanding that she swear before the heavens never to reveal this incident in the royal court; otherwise, she would kill her right there. Despite this, Falada—the loyal horse—saw everything and vowed to remember it.

Now, the maid was riding Falada, while the true bride was on another horse, and they traveled to the king’s palace. Upon their arrival, joy and excitement filled the air. The prince hurried forward, dismounted the maid, believing she was his future bride, and escorted her up the stairs while the real princess was forced to remain below. The old king, seeing the girl standing in the courtyard, recognized how delicate, poised, and beautiful she was. When he returned to his royal hall, he inquired about the companion whom the maid had left behind in the courtyard. She replied, “I found her on the way so that I wouldn’t be alone. Please assign her some work to keep her occupied.” The king had nothing to assign to her, and while he hesitated, he said, “We have a young lad who tends the geese; perhaps the girl can help him.” The boy was named Conrad, and it was decided that the true bride would assist him in watching and tending the geese.

Before long, the false bride said to the prince, “My dear husband, please do this favor for me.” He replied, “With pleasure.” She continued, “Please send for the executioner and instruct him to behead the horse I rode here, for it has caused me much distress on the way.” In truth, she feared that the horse might reveal her deceitful behavior to the true princess. The false bride insisted until her request was finally granted, and the loyal Falada was killed. Upon learning of this, the true princess promised the executioner that for performing another favor, she would give him a silver coin. There was a dark gate through which the goose herder passed every morning with his geese, and she asked him to nail Falada’s head under the gate so that she could see it every time she passed through. The executioner promised to do as she wished and nailed the horse’s head firmly beneath the dark gate…