The Goose-Girl (Grimm)
Short summary
A princess traveled to marry a distant prince, accompanied by her waiting-maid. Her mother gave her a handkerchief with three drops of blood for protection. During the journey, the waiting-maid refused to serve the thirsty princess water.
When the princess lost the handkerchief while drinking from a stream, the waiting-maid forced her to exchange clothes and positions, making her swear silence.
At the palace, the false bride married the prince while the true princess tended geese with Conrad. The old King noticed strange events and secretly listened as she confessed to an iron stove.
Here am I deserted by the whole world, and yet I am a King's daughter, and a false waiting-maid has by force brought me to such a pass that I have to perform menial service.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
The journey and the great deception
An old Queen prepared her beautiful daughter for marriage to a distant prince. She packed costly vessels of silver and gold, jewels, and everything befitting a royal dowry, for she loved her child dearly. The Queen also provided a waiting-maid to accompany the princess and hand her over to the bridegroom.
Each had a horse for the journey, but the princess's horse was special - it was called Falada and could speak. Before parting, the aged mother cut her finger with a knife until it bled, then held a white handkerchief to catch three drops of blood. She gave this to her daughter with the words:
Dear child, preserve this carefully, it will be of service to you on your way... the three drops of blood answered, If thy mother knew, her heart would break.
During their journey, the princess became thirsty and asked her waiting-maid to fetch water from a stream using her golden cup. However, the servant refused rudely, forcing the princess to dismount and drink directly from the stream. When this happened again later, the princess lost the precious handkerchief with the three drops of blood in the water.
Arrival at the palace and the false brides triumph
Once the princess had lost the drops of blood, she became weak and powerless. The waiting-maid seized this opportunity to force an exchange - she took Falada for herself and made the princess ride her inferior horse. She also compelled the princess to exchange their clothes and swear by the sky above that she would tell no one at the royal court about what had happened, threatening death if she refused.
When they arrived at the royal palace, there were great rejoicings. The prince welcomed the false bride, believing her to be his true consort, while the real princess was left standing in the courtyard. The old King noticed the beautiful girl below and asked about her. The false bride claimed she had picked her up as a companion and suggested giving her work. Having no other tasks available, the King assigned her to help a boy named Conrad tend the geese.
Life as a goose-girl and Faladas warnings
The false bride, fearing that Falada might reveal her deception, convinced the young King to have the horse killed. Learning of this plan, the true princess secretly paid the knacker to nail Falada's head beneath the dark gateway through which she passed daily with the geese. Each morning, she would speak to the horse's head:
Alas, Falada, hanging there!
Alas, young Queen, how ill you fare!
If this your tender mother knew,
Her heart would surely break in two.
In the meadow, the princess would unbind her beautiful golden hair to comb it. Conrad, fascinated by its brightness, tried to pluck some strands. To prevent this, she would call upon the wind:
Blow, blow, thou gentle wind, I say,
Blow Conrad's little hat away,
And make him chase it here and there,
Until I have braided all my hair.
The wind would blow Conrad's hat far away, forcing him to chase it while she finished braiding her hair. This happened repeatedly, making Conrad angry and frustrated. Eventually, he complained to the old King about the strange goose-girl and her mysterious ways.
Discovery of the truth and justice restored
Intrigued by Conrad's report, the old King secretly observed the goose-girl. He witnessed her conversation with Falada's head and saw the magical wind blow away Conrad's hat. When he questioned her directly, she refused to speak due to her oath. Cleverly, he told her to confess her sorrows to an iron stove, then listened from outside as she revealed the entire truth about her identity and the deception.
The old King immediately had royal garments placed on the true princess, revealing her marvelous beauty. He summoned his son and exposed the deception. At a great feast, the old King posed a riddle to the false bride, asking what punishment someone deserved for such treachery. Unknowingly, she pronounced her own sentence:
She deserves no better fate than to be stripped entirely naked, and put in a barrel studded inside with pointed nails, and two white horses should drag her till she is dead.
The sentence was carried out, and the young King married his true bride. They reigned over their kingdom in peace and happiness.