There lived once an old Queen, whose husband had been dead many years. She had a beautiful daughter who was promised in marriage to a King's son living a great way off. When the time appointed for the wedding drew near, and the old Queen had to send her daughter into the foreign land, she got together many costly¹ things, furniture and cups and jewels and adornments, both of gold and silver, everything proper for the dowry of a royal Princess, for she loved her daughter dearly. She gave her also a waiting gentlewoman to attend her and to give her into the bridegroom's hands; and they were each to have a horse for the journey, and the Princess's horse was named Falada, and he could speak. When the time for parting came, the old Queen took her daughter to her chamber², and with a little knife she cut her own finger so that it bled; and she held beneath it a white napkin, and on it fell three drops of blood; and she gave it to her daughter, bidding her take care of it, for it would be needful to her on the way.

Then they took leave of each other; and the Princess put the napkin in her bosom³, got on her horse, and set out to go to the bridegroom. After she had ridden an hour, she began to feel very thirsty, and she said to the waiting-woman, "Get down, and fill my cup that you are carrying with water from the brook⁴; I have great desire to drink." - "Get down yourself," said the waiting-woman, "and if you are thirsty stoop down and drink; I will not be your slave." And as her thirst was so great, the Princess had to get down and to stoop and drink of the water of the brook, and could not have her gold cup to serve her. "Oh dear!" said the poor Princess. And the three drops of blood heard her, and said, "If your mother knew of this, it would break her heart." But the Princess answered nothing, and quietly mounted her horse again. So they rode on some miles farther; the day was warm, the sun shone hot, and the Princess grew thirsty once more. And when they came to a water-course she called again to the waiting-woman and said, "Get down, and give me to drink out of my golden cup." For she had forgotten all that had gone before. But the waiting-woman spoke⁵ still more scornfully and said, "If you want a drink, you may get it yourself; I am not going to be your slave." So, as her thirst was so great, the Princess had to get off her horse and to stoop towards the running water to drink, and as she stooped, she wept and said, "Oh dear!" And the three drops of blood heard her and answered, "If your mother knew of this, it would break her heart!" And as she drank and stooped over, the napkin on which were the three drops of blood fell out of her bosom and floated down the stream, and in her distress⁶ she never noticed it; not so the waiting-woman, who rejoiced because she should have power over the bride, who, now that she had lost the three drops of blood, had become weak, and unable to defend herself. And when she was going to mount her horse again the waiting-woman cried, "Falada belongs to me, and this jade⁷ to you." And the Princess had to give way and let it be as she said. Then the waiting-woman ordered the Princess with many hard words to take off her rich clothing and to put on her plain garments, and then she made her swear to say nothing of the matter when they came to the royal court; threatening to take her life if she refused. And all the while Falada noticed and remembered.

The waiting-woman then mounting Falada, and the Princess the sorry jade, they journeyed on till they reached the royal castle. There was great joy at their coming, and the King's son hastened to meet them, and lifted the waiting woman from her horse, thinking she was his bride; and then he led her up the stairs, while the real Princess had to remain below. But the old King, who was looking out of the window, saw her standing⁸ in the yard, and noticed how delicate and gentle and beautiful she was, and then he went down and asked the seeming bride who it was that she had brought with her and that was now standing in the courtyard.

"Oh!" answered the bride, "I only brought her with me for company; give the maid something to do, that she may not be for ever standing idle." But the old King had no work to give her; until he bethought him of a boy he had who took care of the geese, and that she might help him. And so the real Princess was sent to keep geese with the goose-boy, who was called Conrad.

Soon after the false bride said to the Prince, "Dearest husband, I pray thee do me a pleasure." - "With all my heart," answered he. "Then "said she, "send for the knacker, that he may carry off the horse I came here upon, and make away with him; he was very troublesome to me on the journey." For she was afraid that the horse might tell how she had behaved to the Princess. And when the order had been given that Falada should die, it came to the Princess's ears, and she came to the knacker's man secretly, and promised him a piece of gold if he would do her a service. There was in the town a great dark gate-way through which she had to pass morning and evening with her geese, and she asked the man to take Falada's head and to nail it on the gate, that she might always see it as she passed by. And the man promised, and he took Falada's head and nailed it fast in the dark gate-way.

Early next morning as she and Conrad drove their geese through the gate, she said as she went by:

"O Falada, dost thou hang there?"

And the head answered:

"Princess, dost thou so meanly fare?

But if thy mother knew thy pain,

Her heart would surely break in twain."

But she went on through the town, driving her geese to the field. And when they came into the meadows, she sat down and undid⁹ her hair, which was all of gold, and when Conrad saw how it glistened¹⁰, he wanted to pull out a few hairs for himself. And she said:

"O wind, blow Conrad's hat away,

Make him run after as it flies,

While I with my gold hair will play,

And twist it up

in seemly wise."

Then there came a wind strong enough to blow Conrad's hat far away over the fields, and he had to run after it; and by the time he came back she had put up her hair with combs and pins, and he could not get at any to pull it out; and he was sulky and would not speak to her; so they looked after the geese until the evening came, and then they went home.

The next morning, as they passed under the dark gate-way, the Princess said:

"O Falada, dost thou hang there?"

And Falada answered:

"Princess, dost thou so meanly fare?

But if thy mother knew thy pain,

Her heart would surely break in twain."

And when they reached the fields she sat down and began to comb out her hair; then Conrad came up and wanted to seize upon some of it, and she cried:

"O wind, blow Conrad's hat away,

Make him run after as it flies,

While I with my gold hair will play,

And do it up

in seemly wise."

Then the wind came and blew Conrad's hat very far away, so that he had to run after it, and when he came back again her hair was put up again, so that he could pull none of it out; and they tended the geese until the evening.

And after they had got home, Conrad went to the old King and said: "I will tend the geese no longer with that girl!" - "Why not?" asked the old King. "Because she vexes¹¹ me the whole day long," answered Conrad. Then the old King ordered him to tell how it was. "Every morning," said Conrad, "as we pass under the dark gate-way with the geese, there is an old horse's head hanging on the wall, and she says to it:

'O Falada, dost thou hang there?'

And the head answers:

'Princess, dost thou so meanly fare?

But if thy mother knew thy pain,

Her heart would surely break in twain.'"

And besides this, Conrad related all that happened in the fields, and how he was obliged to run after his hat.

The old King told him to go to drive the geese next morning as usual, and he himself went behind the gate and listened how the maiden¹² spoke to Falada; and then he followed them into the fields, and hid himself behind a bush; and he watched the goose-boy and the goose-girl tend the geese; and after a while he saw the girl make her hair all loose, and how it gleamed and shone. Soon she said:

"O wind, blow Conrad's hat away,

And make him follow as it flies,

While I with my gold hair will play,

And bind¹³ it up

in seemly wise."

Then there came a gust¹⁴ of wind and away went Conrad's hat, and he after it, while the maiden combed and bound up her hair; and the old King saw all that went on. At last he went unnoticed away, and when the goose-girl came back in the evening he sent for her, and asked the reason of her doing all this. "That I dare not tell you," she answered, "nor can I tell any man of my woe¹⁵, for when I was in danger of my life I swore an oath not to reveal it." And he pressed her sore, and left her no peace, but he could get nothing out of her. At last he said, "If you will not tell it me, tell it to the iron oven," and went away. Then she crept into the iron oven, and began to weep and to lament¹⁶, and at last she opened her heart and said, "Here I sit forsaken¹⁷ of all the world, and I am a King's daughter, and a wicked waiting-woman forced me to give up my royal garments and my place at the bridegroom's side, and I am made a goose-girl, and have to do mean service. And if my mother knew, it would break her heart." Now the old King was standing outside by the oven-door listening, and he heard all she said, and he called to her and told her to come out of the oven. And he caused royal clothing to be put upon her, and it was a marvel¹⁸ to see how beautiful she was. The old King then called his son and proved to him that he had the wrong bride, for she was really only a waiting-woman, and that the true bride was here at hand, she who had been the goose-girl. The Prince was glad at heart when he saw her beauty and gentleness; and a great feast was made ready, and all the court people and good friends were bidden to it. The bridegroom sat in the midst with the Princess on one side and the waiting-woman on the other; and the false bride did not know the true one, because she was dazzled with her glittering braveries. When all the company had eaten and drunk and were merry, the old King gave the waiting-woman a question to answer, as to what such an one deserved, who had deceived her masters in such and such a manner, telling the whole story, and ending by asking, "Now, what doom¹⁹ does such an one deserve?" - "No better than this," answered the false bride, "that she be put naked into a cask, studded inside with sharp nails, and be dragged along in it by two white horses from street to street, until she be dead." - "Thou hast spoken thy own doom," said the old King, "as thou hast said, so shall it be done." And when the sentence was fulfilled, the Prince married the true bride, and ever after they ruled over their kingdom in peace and blessedness.

很久以前，有一个老王后，她的国王丈夫已经死了许多年，她有一个美丽漂亮的女儿。女儿长大以后，与很远的国家的一个王子订了婚。到了快结婚的日子，老王后把一切都打点好了，让她启程去王子所在的国家。她为女儿收拾了很多值钱的东西，有宝石、金子、银子、装饰品和漂亮的衣物，总之，王宫里的东西应有尽有。老王后非常爱她这个孩子，给她安排了一个侍女陪同她一道前往，千叮咛，万嘱托，要侍女把她的女儿送到新郎手中。并为她们配备了两匹马作为旅行的脚力。公主骑的一匹马叫法拉达，这匹马能够和人说话。

到了要出发的时候，老王后到自己的卧室里拿出一把小刀，把自己的头发割了一小绺下来，拿给她的女儿说："好好的保管着，我亲爱的孩子，它可作为你的护身符保佑你一路平安的。"她们伤心地互相道别后，公主把她母亲的头发揣进了怀里，骑上马，踏上了前往新郎王国的旅程。

一天，她们骑着马沿着一条小溪边赶路，公主觉得渴了起来，对她的侍女说："请下去到那条小溪边，用我的金杯给我舀点水来，我想喝水了。"侍女说道："我不想下去，要是你渴了，你自己下去趴在水边喝就是了，我不再是你的侍女了。"公主渴得难受，只得下马来到小溪边跪着喝水，因为她不敢拿出自己的金杯来用。她哭泣着说："老天呀！我这是变成什么了？"她怀里的头发回答她说：

"哎呀呀！哎呀呀！

要是你母亲知道了，

她的心会痛苦、会悲哀、会叹惜。"

公主一贯都非常谦卑，逆来顺受，所以她没有斥责侍女的粗暴行为，而是不声不响地又骑上马赶路了。

她们向前走了不少路之后，天气变得热起来了，太阳火辣辣地热得灼人，公主感到又渴得不行了。好不容易来到一条河边，她忘了侍女对她的粗暴无礼，说道："请下去用我的金杯为我舀点水来喝。"但侍女对她说话的口气比上次更加傲慢无礼："你想喝就去喝吧，我可不是你的侍女。"干渴使公主不得不自己下马来到河边，俯下身去。她面对河水哭叫着说："我怎么会是这个样子呢？"怀里的头发又回答她说：

"哎呀呀！哎呀呀！

要是你母亲知道了，

她的心会痛苦、会悲哀、会叹惜。"

当她探头到河里喝水时，那绺头发从她怀里掉了出来，由于心情紧张害怕，她一点也没有察觉，头发随着河水漂走了。但她那位侍女却看见了，她非常兴奋，因为她知道那是公主的护身符，丢失了护身符，这位可怜的新娘就可以在自己的掌握之中了。所以当新娘喝完水，准备再跨上法拉达时，侍女说："我来骑法拉达，你可以换我的马骑。"公主不得不和她换马骑。过了不久，她又要公主脱下她的公主服装，换上侍女的装束。

经过长途跋涉，她们终于快到这次旅途的目的地了。那个背信弃义的阴险女仆威胁公主说，如果她向任何人提起发生的事，就要将她杀死。可是法拉达把一切都看在眼里，记在了心头。然后女仆骑上法拉达，真正的新娘却骑着女仆的马，沿着大路，一直走进了王宫大院。王子知道她们来了，极为高兴，飞跑出来迎接她们。他把侍女从马上扶下来，以为她就是自己的未婚妻，带着她上楼到了王宫内室，却让真正的公主待在下面的院子里。

但是，老国王从窗户望出去，发现站在下面院子里的她看上去是那么漂亮，气质是那么超尘脱俗，不像是一个侍女。就跑进内室去问新娘："与你一同来的，站在下面院子里的姑娘是什么人？"侍女新娘说："她是我带在路上作伴的丫头，请给她一些活干，以免她闲着无聊。"老国王想了一会儿，觉得没有什么适合她干的活，最后说："有一个少年替我放鹅，就请她去帮助他吧。"这样，她这个真正的新娘就被派去帮助那个少年放鹅了，少年的名字叫柯德金。

不久，假新娘对王子说："亲爱的丈夫，请帮我做一件令我称心的事吧。"王子说道："我很愿意效劳。""告诉你的屠夫，去把我骑的那匹马的头砍下来。因为它非常难以驾驭，在路上它把我折磨得够苦的了。"但实际上她是因为非常担心法拉达会把她取代真公主的真象说出来，所以才要灭口。于是忠诚的法拉达被杀死了。当真公主听到这个消息后，她哭了，乞求那个屠夫把法拉达的头钉在城门那堵又大又黑的城墙上，这样，她每天早晨和晚上赶着鹅群经过城门时仍然可以看到它。屠夫答应了她的请示，砍下马头，将它牢牢地钉在了黑暗的城门下面。

第二天凌晨，当公主和柯德金从城门出去时，她悲痛地说：

"法拉达，法拉达，

你就挂在这里啊！"

那颗头回答说：

"新娘子，新娘子，你从这儿过去了，

哎呀呀！哎呀呀！

要是你母亲知道了，

她的心会痛苦、会悲哀、会叹惜。"

他们赶着鹅群走出城去。当他们来到牧草地时，她坐在那儿的地埂上，解开她波浪一般卷曲的头发，她的头发都是纯银的。柯德金看到她的头发在太阳下闪闪发光，便跑上前去想拔几根下来，但是她喊道：

"吹吧，风儿，吹过来吧！

吹走柯德金的帽子！

吹吧，风儿，吹走吧！

让他去追赶自己的帽子！

吹过小山，

吹过山谷，

吹过岩石，卷着帽子走吧！

直到我银色的头发，

都梳完盘卷整齐。"

她的话声刚落，真的吹来了一阵风。这风真大，一下子把柯德金的帽子给吹落下来了，又卷着帽子吹过小山，柯德金跟着它追去。等他找着帽子回来时，公主已把头发梳完盘卷整齐，他再也拔不到她的头发了。他非常气恼，绷着脸始终不和她说话。俩人就这样看着鹅群，一直到傍晚天黑才赶着它们回去。

第三天早晨，当他们赶着鹅群走过黑暗的城门时，可怜的姑娘抬眼望着法拉达的头又哭着叫道：

"法拉达，法拉达，

你就挂在这里啊！"

马头回答说：

"新娘子，新娘子，你从这儿过去了，

哎呀呀！哎呀呀！

要是你母亲知道了，

她的心会痛苦、会悲哀、会叹惜。"

接着，她赶着鹅群来到牧草地，又坐在草地上和前一天一样开始梳她的头发，柯德金看见了跑上前来，又要拔她的头发，但她很快说道：

"吹吧，风儿，吹过来吧！

吹走柯德金的帽子！

吹吧，风儿，吹走吧！

让他去追赶自己的帽子！

吹过小山，

吹过山谷，

吹过岩石，

卷着帽子走吧！

直到我银色的头发都梳完盘卷整齐。"

风马上吹过来了，吹落了他的帽子，卷着它很快飞过小山，到了很远的地方，柯德金只好跟着追去。当他回来时，她已经盘起了自己的头发，他又拔不到了。他们和前一天一样，一起看守着鹅群，一直到天黑。

晚上，他们回来之后，柯德金找着老国王说："我再也不要这个奇怪的姑娘帮我放鹅了。"国王问："为什么？""因为她整天什么事都不做，只是戏弄我。"国王就要少年把一切经历都告诉他。柯德金说道："当我们早上赶着鹅群经过黑暗的城门时，她会哭泣着与挂在城墙上的一个马头交谈，说道：

'法拉达，法拉达，

你挂在这里啊！'

然后马头会说：

'新娘子，新娘子，你从这儿过去了，

哎呀呀！哎呀呀！

要是你母亲知道了，

她的心会痛苦、会悲哀、会叹惜。

柯德金把发生的所有事都告诉了国王，包括在放鹅的牧草地上，他的帽子如何被吹走，他被迫丢下鹅群追帽子等等。

但国王要他第二天还是和往常一样和她一起去放鹅。

当早晨来临时，国王躲在黑暗的城门后面，听到了她怎样对法拉达说话，法拉达如何回答她。接着他又跟踪到田野里，藏在牧草地旁边的树丛中，亲眼目睹他们如何放鹅。过了一会儿，她又是怎么打开她那满头在阳光下闪闪发光的头发，然后又听到她说：

"吹吧，风儿，吹过来吧！

吹走柯德金的帽子！

吹吧，风儿，吹走吧！

让他去追赶自己的帽子！

吹过小山，

吹过山谷，

吹过岩石，

卷着帽子走吧！

直到我银色的头发都梳完盘卷整齐。"

话音刚停，很快吹来了一阵风，卷走了柯德金的帽子，姑娘及时梳理完头发并盘卷整齐。一切的一切，老国王都看在了眼里。看完之后，他悄悄地回王宫去了，他们俩都没有看到他。

到了晚上，牧鹅的小姑娘回来了，他把她叫到一边，问她为什么这么做。但是，她满眼是泪地说："我不会告诉包括你在内的任何人，否则我就会被杀死的。"

但是老国王不停地追问她，逼得她不得安宁，她只得一字一句地把一切都告诉了他。她这一说，才使她自己从苦难中得以解脱出来。老国王命令给她换上王室礼服，梳妆打扮之后，老国王惊奇地盯着她看了好一会儿，此时的她真是太美了。他连忙叫来自己的儿子，告诉他现在的妻子是一个假冒的新娘，她实际上只是一个侍女，而真正的新娘就站在他的旁边。年青的国王看到真公主如此漂亮，听到她如此谦卑容忍，欢喜异常。什么话也没有说，只是传令举行一个盛大的宴会，邀请所有王公大臣。新郎坐在上首，一边是假公主，一边是真公主。没有人认识真公主，因为在他们的眼中，她是如此秀美华贵，令人不可逼视，她已完全不像牧鹅的小姑娘了，现在，她的穿着也是光艳照人。

当他们吃着喝着时，客人们都非常高兴，老国王把他所听到的一切作为一个故事讲给大伙听了。又问真正的侍女，她认为应该怎样处罚故事中的那位侍女。假新娘说道："最好的处理办法就是把她装进一只里面钉满了尖钉子的木桶里，用两匹白马拉着桶，在大街上拖来拖去，一直到她在痛苦中死去。"老国王说："正是要这样处理你！因为你已经很公正地宣判了对自己罪恶的处理方法，你应该受到这样的惩罚。"

年青的国王和他真正的未婚妻结婚了，他们一起过上了幸福美满的生活，交共同治理着国家，使人民安居乐业。