The Blue Fairy Book - online childrens book

Illustrated classic fairy tales for children by Andrew Lang

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	272	THE GOOSE-GIRL
	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 any one 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 mayn't 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 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 sob and cry and to pour out her poor little heart, and said : ' Here I sit, deserted 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.'