"I can fly without a broom," the Queen said. "I’ll let you drink the elixir," he went on. "I’ve had quite enough already," the Queen said. The demon gnashed his teeth. "Then you won’t trade?" he said. "Certainly _not_," the Queen answered. "And you won’t marry me?" "_Certainly_ not!" the Queen said. There was blue flame, and a great pillar of sand shot up into the air. The wind carried it slowly away—the gentleman in black had disappeared. "Come, that’s something!" the Queen said, with a sigh of relief, when her eye fell suddenly on the crowd of people that were standing looking at her. They were mostly standing on one leg. "Why, whoever are you?" the said. And a grey-haired man answered, "We are—that is, we were—the geese. _I_ am the oldest of them, and, as such, let me remind you that a ripe man is by far the best one to marry. Oh, maiden, marry _me_!" But a perfect storm of voices went up. "No; marry me! I’m——" But the Queen held up her hand to command silence. "Don’t make such a fearful noise. I can’t even hear myself think. I’m not going to marry any of you, though you were very nice, dear geese, and I was very fond of you." "No; the lady is going to marry me!" a voice said, and the man in shepherd’s clothes stept forth. "No, marry me!" the man in armour said. "I’m a prince. I will make you a princess," the man in shepherd’s clothes said. "I’m a shepherd," the man dressed like a prince said. "A shepherd is a far better match for a goose-girl than a prince is." "But why were either of you so deceitful?" the Queen said. "Because it’s so ridiculous. You don’t look like a shepherd, prince—your skin is much too fair; and you are much too brawny to be a prince, shepherd." "Well, I thought it was not quite respectable for a prince to be seen visiting a witch, and so I changed clothes with the shepherd here." "And I changed clothes with the prince because I had seen you from afar, and had loved you; and because I thought a prince would have seemed more splendid than a common shepherd." "But you were both wrong to try to deceive me," the Queen said. "As for you, prince, I will not marry you to be made a princess, for I am a Queen already; and for you, shepherd, I will not marry you to become a shepherdess, for I am goose-girl already, though my flock has turned back from its goose-shape again. But how did you become geese, anyhow?" she asked of them. And he who had been the old grey gander answered, "The witch turned us into it when we came to ask for the Elixir of Love." "Dear me!" the Queen said. "Does love make such geese of people?" And the shepherd in prince’s clothing said, "I’m afraid it does." "You see, it was as I said," the old grey gander said; "those young men are all fools. You had much better marry me." He had no sooner said the words than a perfect whirlwind of shouts arose. "Marry me!" "No, marry me!" "Me!" "Me!" "Me!"