Clara has an old book of stories, and sometimes, when there is not much time, she reads a shorter version. This is a gentle retelling of The Goose Girl, a traditional fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm.
The Goose Girl
A young princess once set out on a long journey to marry a prince in a distant land. She travelled with her maid and her faithful horse, Falada, and her mother gave her a small piece of cloth with three drops of blood for protection.
But along the way, the maid grew bold and disobedient. When the princess became thirsty and asked for water, the maid refused to help her. Weak and alone, the princess lost the cloth her mother had given her—and with it, her protection.
Seeing her chance, the maid forced the princess to exchange clothes and took her place. By the time they reached the castle, no one recognised the true princess. She was sent away to tend the geese, while the maid was welcomed as the bride.
Each day, the princess walked out to the fields with the geese, her only companion now the quiet wind and the memory of who she truly was. Before leaving the castle, she had spoken to Falada one last time, and though the horse had been killed, its head was placed above a gate.
As she passed beneath it each morning, she would say softly,
“Falada, there you hang.”
And the horse would answer,
“If your mother knew, her heart would break in two.”
A young boy who watched the geese with her began to notice these strange words. One day, he told the king. Curious, the king decided to see for himself.
He followed the princess and heard everything. At last, he understood the truth. The quiet goose girl was no servant, but the real princess.
The false bride was revealed, and justice was done. The princess was restored to her rightful place, and this time, her true story was known to all.
And that was the story Clara read that afternoon.