Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm | Page 9

another proper sort of stone that will stand a good
deal of wear and that you can hammer out your old nails upon. Take it
with you, and carry it carefully."
Hans lifted up the stone and carried it off with a contented mind. "I
must have been born under a lucky star!" cried he, while his eyes
sparkled for joy. "I have only to wish for a thing and it is mine."
After a while he began to feel rather tired, as indeed he had been on his
legs since daybreak; he also began to feel rather hungry, as in the
fulness of his joy at getting the cow, he had eaten up all he had. At last
he could scarcely go on at all, and had to make a halt every moment,
for the stones weighed him down most unmercifully, and he could not
help wishing that he did not feel obliged to drag them along. And on he
went at a snail's pace until he came to a well; then he thought he would
rest and take a drink of the fresh water. And he placed the stones
carefully by his side at the edge of the well; then he sat down, and as he

stooped to drink, he happened to give the stones a little push, and they
both fell into the water with a splash. And then Hans, having watched
them disappear, jumped for joy, and thanked his stars that he had been
so lucky as to get rid of the stones that had weighed upon him so long
without any effort of his own.
"I really think," cried he, "I am the luckiest man under the sun." So on
he went, void of care, until he reached his mother's house.

THE GOOSE GIRL.
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 costly 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 chamber, 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 bosom,
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
brook; 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."

[Illustration: GOOSE GIRL
'O WIND, BLOW CONRAD'S HAT AWAY, AND MAKE HIM
FOLLOW AS IT FLIES, WHILE I WITH MY GOLD HAIR WILL
PLAY AND BIND IT UP IN SEEMLY WISE.' ]
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 spoke 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