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 maiden 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 bind it up in seemly wise."

Then there came a gust 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
woe, 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 lament, and
at last she opened her heart and said,

"Here I sit forsaken 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
marvel 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