Once there was a beautiful princess the

daughter of an old, widowed queen. This

princess was betrothed to a prince who lived
far away, and as the time for the marriage
drew near, she made ready to set forth on her
journey to his country.
She gave her a waiting-maid to ride with her,
and each had a horse for the journey.

 The princesss horse was white and the maids

was brown. The princesss horse was called
Falada, and it could speak.
When the time came for the princess to go,
her mother gave the princess a ring as a prove
that she was the princess.
The mother and daughter took sorrowful
leave of each other, and the princess set off on
her journey.

 As the princess and her maid were riding

along by a clear, tinkling brook, the princess
felt very thirsty.
She dismounted and knelt over the little brook
and drank from her hands.
As she drank the water from the river, her ring
slipped and floated away.

 Princess, look! Your ring is gone! Oh dear!

Look at your dress. Its all muddy now. Why
dont you wear my clean dress instead and Ill
wear your dress, said the maid with a sly grin.
Oh no! It is so kind of you to give me your
dress. Thank you, said the innocent princess.

 When they finally reached the castle, the prince

ran to meet them and lifted the maid from the
horse, thinking she was the one who was to be
his wife, for he had never seen the princess.
I am the princess! Your dress is all rags. Look at
mine, said the servant.
The princess was shocked of her maids
behaviour.

 You must be the new goose girl then, said the prince.
He called his goose boy, Conrad and asked him to show
the princess her way to the barn to take care of the
geese.
The princess sadly followed the goose boy to the barn
and she slept on the straw in the barn.

 The next day, she and Conrad drove the geese to the
pasture with the goose boy.
How are you, Falada? Ive missed you! exclaimed the
princess excitedly.
Im fine, princess. But you are not suppose to be
here, said the horse with a gloom face.
She lied to the prince. She is the princess now. If only
the prince knows the truth, sighed the princess.
Everyday, she drove the geese to the pasture so that
she could talk to Falada.

 When they reached home one evening,

Conrad went, in a rage, to the prince and said,
I will not have that girl to keep the geese with
me any longer. Every morning, when we go
through the dark gate with our geese, she
weeps and talks with the white horse.
She says, Falada, Falada, when do you think
the prince will know that I am the princess?

 The shocked prince followed them silently the

next day and discovered the truth.
The raged prince went back to his castle and
asked, My dear, what punishment shall befall
on a person who lied to me about herself?
The maid said, My lord, she deserves to clean
the stable for the rest of her life.
The prince asked his guards to catch the maid
and she was forced to work in the stable.

 He rode his horse to the pasture and ran to

the princess.
My dear, I should have known your good
manners and such grace. Forgive me. Will you
marry me, my dear? asked the prince.
My lord, it was never your fault you were
deceived. Yes, I would be pleased to marry
you, said the happy princess.

 The prince and the princess got married and

became the king and queen of the country
and lived happily ever after.