When he came back she had finished combing her hair and was putting it up again and he could not get any of it. Then Conrad was angry, and would not speak to her. And thus they watched the geese until the evening, and then they went home. [Illustration: THE HEAD ANSWERED, “ALAS! YOUNG QUEEN HOW ILL YOU FARE”] Next day when they were driving the geese out through the dark gateway, the maiden said: “_Alas, Falada, hanging there!_” Falada answered: “_Alas! young Queen, how ill you fare! If this your tender Mother knew, Her heart would surely break in two!_” And she sat down again in the field and began to comb out her hair. Conrad ran and tried to clutch it, so she said in haste: “_Blow, blow, thou gentle Wind, I say, Blow Conrad’s little hat away, And make him chase it here and there, Until I’ve braided all my hair, And bound it up again._” Then the wind blew, and blew his little hat off his head and far away, and Conrad was forced to run after it. When he came back, her hair had been put up a long time, and he could get none of it. So they looked after their geese till evening came. But in the evening, after they had got home, Conrad went to the old King, and said, “I won’t tend the geese with that girl any longer!” “Why not?” inquired the old King. “Oh, because she vexes me the whole day long.” Then the old King commanded him to relate what it was that she did to him. And Conrad said, “In the morning, when we pass beneath the dark gateway with the flock, there is a sorry horse’s head on the wall, and she says to it: “‘_Alas, Falada, hanging there!_’ And the head replies: “‘_Alas! young Queen, how ill you fare! If this your tender Mother knew, Her heart would surely break in two!_’” And Conrad went on to relate what happened on the goose-pasture, and how when there he had to chase his hat. The old King commanded him to drive his flock out again next day, and as soon as morning came, he placed himself behind the dark gateway, and heard how the maiden spoke to the head of Falada. Then he went into the country, and hid himself in the thicket in the meadow. There he soon saw with his own eyes, the goose-girl and the goose-boy bringing their flock, and how after a while she sat down and unplaited her hair, which shone with radiance. And soon she said: “_Blow, blow, thou gentle Wind, I say, Blow Conrad’s little hat away, And make him chase it here and there, Until I’ve braided all my hair, And bound it up again._” Then came a blast of wind and carried off Conrad’s hat, so that he had to run far away, while the maiden quietly went on combing and plaiting her hair. All of which the King observed. Then, quite unseen, he went away, and when the goose-girl came home in the evening, he called her aside, and asked why she did all these things.