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 herding 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 slaughterer 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 doomed 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 'kindly 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 gateway.
Early next morning, as she and Curdken were driving their flock through the gate, she said as she passed under:
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:
Then a gust 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 herded the geese till evening and then went home.
The next morning, as they passed under the gate, the girl said:
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:
Then a puff 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 herd 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 iniquities, 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:
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 maiden sat down and loosed her hair, that glittered like gold, and repeated:
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 confide my woes 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
