and walked beside them along the road.

The herdboy pulled out his pipe and played a low sweet tune, and the
stranger looked again and again at Tattercoats' lovely face till he fell
deeply in love with her, and begged her to marry him.

But she only laughed, and shook her golden head.

"You would be finely put to shame if you had a goosegirl for your wife!"
said she; "go and ask one of the great ladies you will see to-night at
the King's ball, and do not flout poor Tattercoats."

But the more she refused him the sweeter the pipe played, and the deeper
the young man fell in love; till at last he begged her, as a proof of
his sincerity, to come that night at twelve to the King's ball, just as
she was, with the herdboy and his geese, and in her torn petticoat and
bare feet, and he would dance with her before the King and the lords and
ladies, and present her to them all, as his dear and honoured bride.

So when night came, and the hall in the castle was full of light and
music, and the lords and ladies were dancing before the King, just as
the clock struck twelve, Tattercoats and the herdboy, followed by his
flock of noisy geese, entered at the great doors, and walked straight up
the ball-room, while on either side the ladies whispered, the lords
laughed, and the King seated at the far end stared in amazement.

But as they came in front of the throne, Tattercoats' lover rose from
beside the King, and came to meet her. Taking her by the hand, he kissed
her thrice before them all, and turned to the King.

[Illustration: TATTERCOATS.]

"Father!" he said, for it was the Prince himself, "I have made my
choice, and here is my bride, the loveliest girl in all the land, and
the sweetest as well!"

Before he had finished speaking, the herdboy put his pipe to his lips
and played a few low notes that sounded like a bird singing far off in
the woods; and as he played, Tattercoats' rags were changed to shining
robes sewn with glittering jewels, a golden crown lay upon her golden
hair, and the flock of geese behind her, became a crowd of dainty pages,
bearing her long train.

And as the King rose to greet her as his daughter, the trumpets sounded
loudly in honour of the new Princess, and the people outside in the
street said to each other:

"Ah! now the Prince has chosen for his wife the loveliest girl in all
the land!"

But the gooseherd was never seen again, and no one knew what became of
him; while the old lord went hom