A retelling for curious readers ages 6–8 of the Brothers Grimm tale “The Goose-Girl”: a princess loses her mother’s charm on the road, her waiting-maid steals her place, and she tends geese beside the faithful talking horse Falada’s head until an old King discovers the truth.
Read first 4 pagesThe opening of The Goose-Girl: A Retelling for Curious Readers, free to read.
Long ago, in a castle on a hill, lived an old Queen and her only daughter. It had been just the two of them since the King died, and the Queen treasured her girl more than all her gold. Now the princess was grown. A prince in a far-off kingdom was waiting to marry her, and it was time for her to go.
The Queen filled chests with wedding gifts: silver cups, golden dishes, rings, and sparkling jewels. A waiting-maid would ride along to serve the princess and bring her safely to the prince. Each girl had a horse. The princess's horse was a silver-gray named Falada. Falada was no ordinary horse. He could talk.
On the morning they were to leave, the Queen led her daughter into her bedroom. She pricked her own finger with a small knife. Drip, drip, drip: three red drops fell onto a white handkerchief. The Queen folded it and pressed it into the princess's hand. “Keep this safe, my dear child,” she said. “It will take care of you on the way.”
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