Snow-white married him, and Rose-red his brother, and they divided the
great treasure the dwarf had collected in his cave between them. The
old mother lived for many years peacefully with her children; and she
carried the two rose trees with her, and they stood in front of her
window, and every year they bore the finest red and white roses.(1)
(1) Grimm.
THE GOOSE-GIRL
Once upon a time an old queen, whose husband had been dead for many
years, had a beautiful daughter. When she grew up she was betrothed to
a prince who lived a great way off. Now, when the time drew near for her
to be married and to depart into a foreign kingdom, her old mother gave
her much costly baggage, and many ornaments, gold and silver, trinkets
and knicknacks, and, in fact, everything that belonged to a royal
trousseau, for she loved her daughter very dearly. She gave her a
waiting-maid also, who was to ride with her and hand her over to the
bridegroom, and she provided each of them with a horse for the journey.
Now the Princess’s horse was called Falada, and could speak.
When the hour for departure drew near the old mother went to her
bedroom, and taking a small knife she cut her fingers till they bled;
then she held a white rag under them, and letting three drops of blood
fall into it, she gave it to her daughter, and said: “Dear child, take
great care of this rag: it may be of use to you on the journey.”
So they took a sad farewell of each other, and the Princess stuck the
rag in front of her dress, mounted her horse, and set forth on the
journey to her bridegroom’s kingdom. After they had ridden for about
an hour the Princess began to feel very thirsty, and said to her
waiting-maid: “Pray get down and fetch me some water in my golden cup
out of yonder stream: I would like a drink.” “If you’re thirsty,” said
the maid, “dismount yourself, and lie down by the water and drink; I
don’t mean to be your servant any longer.” The Princess was so thirsty
that she got down, bent over the stream, and drank, for she wasn’t
allowed to drink out of the golden goblet. As she drank she murmured:
“Oh! heaven, what am I to do?” and the three drops of blood replied:
“If your mother only knew,
Her heart would surely break in two.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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