drove the geese into a field. And when they
had reached the common where the geese fed she sat down and unloosed
her hair, which was of pure gold. Curdken loved to see it glitter in the
sun, and wanted much to pull some hair out. Then she spoke:

"Wind, wind, gently sway,
Blow Curdken's hat away;
Let him chase o'er field and wold
Till my locks of ruddy gold,
Now astray and hanging down,
Be combed and plaited in a crown."

Then a gust of wind blew Curdken's hat away, and he had to chase it over
hill and dale. When he returned from the pursuit she had finished
her combing and curling, and his chance of getting any hair was gone.
Curdken was very angry, and wouldn't speak to her. So they herded the
geese till evening and then went home.

The next morning, as they passed under the gate, the girl said:

"Oh! Falada, 'tis you hang there;"

and the head replied:

"'Tis you; pass under, Princess fair:
If your mother only knew,
Her heart would surely break in two."

Then she went on her way till she came to the common, where she sat down
and began to comb out her hair; then Curdken ran up to her and wanted to
grasp some of the hair from her head, but she called out hastily:

"Wind, wind, gently sway,
Blow Curdken's hat away;
Let him chase o'er field and wold
Till my locks of ruddy gold,
Now astray and hanging down,
Be combed and plaited in a crown."

Then a puff of wind came and blew Curdken's hat far away, so that he had
to run after it; and when he returned she had long finished putting
up her golden locks, and he couldn't get any hair; so they watched the
geese till it was dark.

But that evening when they got home Curdken went to the old King, and
said: "I refuse to herd geese any longer with that girl." "For what
reason?" asked the old King. "Because she does nothing but annoy me
all day long," replied Curdken; and he proceeded to relate all her
iniquities, and said: "Every morning as we drive the flock through the
dark gate she says to a horse's head that hangs on the wall:

"'Oh! Falada, 'tis you hang there';

and the head replies:

"''Tis you; pass under, Princess fair:
If your mother only knew,
Her heart would surely break in two.'"

And Curdken went on to tell what passed on the common where the geese
fed, and how he had always to chase his hat.

The old King bade him go and drive forth his flock as usual next day;
and when morning came