and
that she waited there for the Prince to come with a dress all of silver
and gold, which would suit her better than the old ram's hide which she
wore.

Then the old goose-woman thought that it would be a fine thing to have
her daughter in the Princess's place, so that she might have the dress
of real silver and gold, and marry the Prince. So the goose-herd's
daughter held the Princess, and the old goose-herd stripped the ram's
hide off from her.

No sooner had they done this than the Princess was changed into a
beautiful golden bird, and flew away over hill and over valley. Then the
goose-herd's daughter clad herself in the ram's hide, and sat down in
the Princess's place.

[Illustration: The Gooseherd & her Daughter meet the Princess at the
Roadside]

"Yes, my pretty little bird," said the old goose-herd, "thou wilt make a
fine Princess!" But, prut! she was no more like a Princess than I am,
for she was squat, and round-shouldered, and had hair of the color of
tow.

Then the old goose-herd drove her geese away, and the goose-girl waited
for the coming of the Prince.

Sure enough, after a while the Prince came with a fine dress, all of
real silver and gold; but when he saw the goose-girl he beat his head
with his knuckles, for he thought that it was the Princess, and that she
was enchanted again.

Why did he not look through the ring of his magic key?

Perhaps for this, perhaps for that--one cannot be always wise.

[Illustration: The Prince looks through the Magic Key.]

Then the Prince dressed the goose-girl in the fine dress of gold and
silver, and took her home with him. Hui! how everybody stared and
laughed when they saw what kind of a Princess it was that the Prince
brought home with him! As for the poor old King, he rubbed his
spectacles and looked and looked, for he thought that this was a strange
sort of a wife for the Prince to make such a buzz about. However, he
said nothing, for he thought to himself that perhaps she would grow
prettier by-and-by.

So orders were given for a grand wedding on Thursday, and the old King
asked all of the neighbors to come, and even those who lived at a
distance, for this was to be a very grand wedding indeed.

But the old goose-herd told her daughter to mix a sleeping powder with
the Prince's wine at supper, for, if the real Princess were to come at
all, she would come that night. So the goose-girl did as she was told,
and the Prince drank the sleeping powde