The Goose Girl is a classic fairy tale from Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm. It tells the story of a beautiful Princess who travels to a distant kingdom to marry a Prince. Her mother gives her three magical drops of blood on a white cloth as a reminder of her mother’s love and protection.
During the journey, however, the Princess’s waiting-woman betrays her. The Princess loses the precious cloth, is forced to exchange clothes and horses with the waiting-woman, and arrives at the royal castle disguised as a servant.
Instead of becoming a Princess, she is sent to look after the geese with a young boy named Conrad. Her loyal horse Falada remembers the truth and speaks to her from beyond the grave. Eventually, the old King discovers what has happened, and the Princess’s true identity is revealed.
This is a story about courage, patience, truth, loyalty, and justice. Even when the Princess loses her royal position, she never truly loses her dignity or her gentle nature.
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Adapted Story for kids
Long ago, there lived an old Queen who had lost her husband many years before. She had one beloved daughter, a beautiful Princess who was promised in marriage to a Prince who lived in a faraway kingdom.
When the wedding day drew near, the Queen prepared a wonderful dowry for her daughter. She gave her beautiful clothes, golden and silver treasures, cups, jewels, and many other precious things.
The Queen also gave her daughter a loyal horse named Falada, who had a magical gift: he could speak.
The Princess was also given a waiting-woman to accompany her on the long journey.
Before the Princess left, her mother took her into her room. The Queen gently cut her finger and let three drops of blood fall onto a small white cloth.
“Take good care of this,” the Queen told her daughter. “It will remind you of me and help you on your journey.”
The Princess carefully placed the cloth inside her dress, said goodbye to her mother, mounted Falada, and began her journey.
The Princess Loses Her Protection
After riding for some time, the Princess became very thirsty.
“Please get down and bring me some water from the brook,” she said to the waiting-woman.
But the waiting-woman answered rudely.
“Get the water yourself. I am not your servant.”
The Princess had no choice. She climbed down from Falada and bent over the brook to drink.
As she drank, she sadly said, “Oh dear!”
The three drops of blood on the cloth heard her sorrow and spoke:
“If your mother knew of this, it would break her heart.”
The Princess said nothing and continued her journey.
Later, she became thirsty again and asked the waiting-woman for water from her golden cup.
But once again, the waiting-woman refused.
The Princess had to kneel beside the stream and drink from the water herself.
As she bent down, the three drops of blood spoke again:
“If your mother knew of this, it would break her heart.”
This time, however, something terrible happened.
The white cloth with the three drops of blood slipped from the Princess’s clothing and floated away down the stream.
The Princess did not notice.
But the waiting-woman saw what had happened.
Now the Princess had lost the magical cloth that had protected and encouraged her.
The Betrayal
The waiting-woman realized that the Princess was now vulnerable.
She ordered the Princess to exchange horses with her.
“Falada belongs to me now,” she said. “You can ride this other horse.”
Then she forced the Princess to exchange her beautiful royal clothes for plain clothing.
The waiting-woman warned the Princess that she must never reveal the truth about what had happened.
The frightened Princess agreed.
So the waiting-woman rode Falada toward the Prince’s castle dressed as the Princess, while the true Princess followed behind on the ordinary horse wearing the clothes of a servant.
The False Bride Arrives
When they reached the royal castle, everyone was delighted to welcome the woman they believed was the Princess.
The Prince came to greet his supposed bride and helped her from Falada’s back.
The true Princess, meanwhile, was left standing in the courtyard.
The old King looked out of a window and noticed the quiet young girl.
“She looks gentle and noble,” he thought.
He went down and asked the false bride who the girl was.
“Oh, she is only someone who came with me for company,” replied the waiting-woman.
The King decided that the girl should help care for the royal geese.
And so the true Princess became a goose girl.
She was sent to work with a young goose-boy named Conrad.
Falada Remembers the Truth
The false bride was afraid that Falada might reveal what she had done.
She asked the Prince to have the horse killed.
When the Princess heard that Falada was going to die, she secretly asked the man who was taking care of the horse to help her.
“Please hang Falada’s head beneath the dark gate where I pass every morning,” she asked.
The man agreed.
The next morning, the Princess walked beneath the gate with Conrad and the geese.
She looked up and sadly said:
“O Falada, are you hanging there?”
And Falada answered:
“Princess, are you suffering so sadly?
If your mother knew your pain,
Her heart would surely break.”
The Princess continued on her way, carrying her secret with her.
The Goose Girl and Her Golden Hair
When the Princess and Conrad reached the fields, she sat down and loosened her beautiful golden hair.
Her hair shone brightly in the sunlight.
Conrad wanted to pull some of it, but the Princess did not want him to touch it.
So she called upon the wind:
“O wind, blow Conrad’s hat away!
Make him run after it,
while I comb and tie up my golden hair.”
A strong gust of wind carried Conrad’s hat far across the field.
Conrad ran after it.
While he was gone, the Princess quickly combed her golden hair and tied it up.
When Conrad returned, he could not pull any of her hair.
The same thing happened the next day.
Conrad became frustrated and finally decided to tell the old King about the strange things happening with the goose girl.
The King Discovers the Truth
Conrad told the old King about Falada’s speaking head and about the mysterious wind that always carried his hat away whenever the goose girl let down her golden hair.
The King became curious.
The next morning, he secretly followed the goose girl and Conrad.
He saw the Princess speak to Falada.
He followed them to the fields and watched as she loosened her golden hair.
He saw the wind blow Conrad’s hat away, just as Conrad had described.
The King knew that there was something unusual about the quiet goose girl.
That evening, he asked her to explain what had happened.
But the Princess was afraid.
She had promised never to reveal her secret.
At last, the King told her that if she could not speak to him, she should tell her story to an iron oven.
The Princess entered the oven and finally began to speak.
She told the whole story.
She explained that she was really a King’s daughter, that the waiting-woman had betrayed her, and that she had been forced to give up her royal clothes and her place beside the Prince.
The old King secretly listened and learned the truth.
The True Princess Is Revealed
The King ordered the Princess to come out of the oven.
He gave her beautiful royal clothes.
Everyone was amazed by how graceful and beautiful she looked.
Then the King summoned his son and explained that the woman he had believed to be his bride was actually the waiting-woman.
The quiet goose girl was the true Princess.
The Prince was overjoyed when he learned the truth.
A great feast was prepared, and everyone in the royal court was invited.
The true Princess sat beside the Prince, while the false bride sat on the other side.
The waiting-woman did not recognize the Princess because she was dressed in magnificent royal clothing once again.
Justice Is Served
During the feast, the old King asked the false bride what punishment someone deserved if she had deceived her masters and stolen another person’s rightful place.
The false bride suggested a terrible punishment.
The old King then revealed the truth.
“You have spoken your own punishment,” he said.
The false bride was punished according to her own words.
The Prince then married the true Princess.
The Princess had suffered greatly, but she had remained patient, gentle, and truthful.
And in the end, truth was revealed, justice was done, and the Prince and Princess lived happily and peacefully in their kingdom.
What Children Can Learn From This Story
- Courage can help us survive difficult times. The Princess remains calm and patient even after losing her royal position.
- Truth can eventually come to light. Although the Princess is forced to hide her identity, the old King eventually discovers what really happened.
- Loyalty matters. Falada remains connected to the Princess and helps preserve the memory of her true identity.
- Kindness and dignity are important. The Princess does not become cruel even after being treated unfairly.
- Actions have consequences. The waiting-woman’s betrayal eventually catches up with her, and justice is restored.
Vocabulary
- Dowry — Money, possessions, or valuable gifts given to a bride when she marries.
- Princess — The daughter of a king or queen.
- Waiting-woman — A woman who serves and accompanies a royal woman.
- Bosom — The front part of a person’s chest, especially the area where something may be carried inside clothing.
- Betray — To break someone’s trust or act against someone who depends on you.
- Meadow — A grassy field, often filled with flowers.
- Gleam — To shine softly or brightly.
- Dignity — Calmness, self-respect, and a sense of worth.
- Vulnerable — Easily hurt, harmed, or taken advantage of.
- Justice — Fair treatment and proper punishment when someone has done wrong.
Questions for Children
- Why did the Queen give her daughter the three drops of blood on a white cloth?
- What happened when the Princess became thirsty during the journey?
- Why did the waiting-woman take the Princess’s horse and royal clothes?
- What happened to the three drops of blood?
- Why did the Princess become a goose girl at the royal castle?
- What happened when Falada was going to be killed?
- Why did the Princess ask the wind to blow Conrad’s hat away?
- What happened when Conrad told the old King about the strange goose girl?
- How did the old King discover that the goose girl was really a Princess?
- Why did the false bride reveal her own punishment?
- What was the lesson of the story?
- Which character in the story showed the most courage, and why?
Moral / Lesson
Truth, courage, patience, and kindness can survive even the greatest betrayal.
The Princess loses her beautiful clothes, her royal position, and her place beside the Prince, but she never loses her inner strength. She remains gentle and patient while waiting for the truth to be discovered.
The story also teaches children that betrayal may succeed for a while, but it cannot change the truth forever. With courage, loyalty, and patience, the Princess eventually regains her rightful place, while the person who deceived her faces the consequences of her actions.
Original story
Original story excerpt from: Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm / Author: Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm / Illustrator: Walter Crane / Translator: Lucy Crane / Macmillan and Company in 1886
There lived once an old Queen, whose husband had been dead many years. She had a beautiful daughter who was promised in marriage to a King’s son living a great way off.
When the time appointed for the wedding drew near, and the old Queen had to send her daughter into the foreign land, she got together many costly things, furniture and cups and jewels and adornments, both of gold and silver, everything proper for the dowry of a royal Princess, for she loved her daughter dearly.
She gave her also a waiting gentlewoman to attend her and to give her into the bridegroom’s hands; and they were each to have a horse for the journey, and the Princess’s horse was named Falada, and he could speak. When the time for parting came, the old Queen took her daughter to her chamber, and with a little knife she cut her own finger so that it bled; and she held beneath it a white napkin, and on it fell three drops of blood; and she gave it to her daughter, bidding her take care of it, for it would be needful to her on the way.
Then they took leave of each other; and the Princess put the napkin in her bosom, got on her horse, and set out to go to the bridegroom. After she had ridden an hour, she began to feel very thirsty, and she said to the waiting-woman,
“Get down, and fill my cup that you are carrying with water from the brook; I have great desire to drink.”
“Get down yourself,” said the waiting-woman, “and if you are thirsty stoop down and drink; I will not be your slave.”
GOOSE GIRL – ‘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.’
And as her thirst was so great, the Princess had to get down and to stoop and drink of the water of the brook, and could not have her gold cup to serve her. “Oh dear!” said the poor Princess. And the three drops of blood heard her, and said,
“If your mother knew of this, it would break her heart.”
But the Princess answered nothing, and quietly mounted her horse again. So they rode on some miles farther; the day was warm, the sun shone hot, and the Princess grew thirsty once more. And when they came to a water-course she called again to the waiting-woman and said,
“Get down, and give me to drink out of my golden cup.” For she had forgotten all that had gone before. But the waiting-woman spoke still more scornfully and said,
“If you want a drink, you may get it yourself; I am not going to be your slave.”
So, as her thirst was so great, the Princess had to get off her horse and to stoop towards the running water to drink, and as she stooped, she wept and said, “Oh dear!” And the three drops of blood heard her and answered,
“If your mother knew of this, it would break her heart!”
And as she drank and stooped over, the napkin on which were the three drops of blood fell out of her bosom and floated down the stream, and in her distress she never noticed it; not so the waiting-woman, who rejoiced because she should have power over the bride, who, now that she had lost the three drops of blood, had become weak, and unable to defend herself. And when she was going to mount her horse again the waiting-woman cried,
“Falada belongs to me, and this jade to you.” And the Princess had to give way and let it be as she said. Then the waiting-woman ordered the Princess with many hard words to take off her rich clothing and to put on her plain garments, and then she made her swear to say nothing of the matter when they came to the royal court; threatening to take her life if she refused. And all the while Falada noticed and remembered.
The waiting-woman then mounting Falada, and the Princess the sorry jade, they journeyed on till they reached the royal castle. There was great joy at their coming, and the King’s son hastened to meet them, and lifted the waiting woman from her horse, thinking she was his bride; and then he led her up the stairs, while the real Princess had to remain below. But the old King, who was looking out of the window, saw her standing in the yard, and noticed how delicate and gentle and beautiful she was, and then he went down and asked the seeming bride who it was that she had brought with her and that was now standing in the courtyard.
“Oh!” answered the bride, “I only brought her with me for company; give the maid something to do, that she may not be for ever standing idle.”
But the old King had no work to give her; until he bethought him of a boy he had who took care of the geese, and that she might help him. And so the real Princess was sent to keep geese with the goose-boy, who was called Conrad.
Soon after the false bride said to the Prince,
“Dearest husband, I pray thee do me a pleasure.”
“With all my heart,” answered he.
“Then” said she, “send for the knacker, that he may carry off the horse I came here upon, and make away with him; he was very troublesome to me on the journey.” For she was afraid that the horse might tell how she had behaved to the Princess. And when the order had been given that Falada should die, it came to the Princess’s ears, and she came to the knacker’s man secretly, and promised him a piece of gold if he would do her a service. There was in the town a great dark gate-way through which she had to pass morning and evening with her geese, and she asked the man to take Falada’s head and to nail it on the gate, that she might always see it as she passed by. And the man promised, and he took Falada’s head and nailed it fast in the dark gate-way.
Early next morning as she and Conrad drove their geese through the gate, she said as she went by,
“O Falada, dost thou hang there?”
And the head answered,
“Princess, dost thou so meanly fare?
But if thy mother knew thy pain,
Her heart would surely break in twain.”
But she went on through the town, driving her geese to the field. And when they came into the meadows, she sat down and undid her hair, which was all of gold, and when Conrad saw how it glistened, he wanted to pull out a few hairs for himself. And she said,
“O wind, blow Conrad’s hat away,
Make him run after as it flies,
While I with my gold hair will play,
And twist it up in seemly wise.”
Then there came a wind strong enough to blow Conrad’s hat far away over the fields, and he had to run after it; and by the time he came back she had put up her hair with combs and pins, and he could not get at any to pull it out; and he was sulky and would not speak to her; so they looked after the geese until the evening came, and then they went home.
The next morning, as they passed under the dark gate-way, the Princess said,
“O Falada, dost thou hang there?”
And Falada answered,
“Princess, dost thou so meanly fare?
But if thy mother knew thy pain,
Her heart would surely break in twain.”
And when they reached the fields she sat down and began to comb out her hair; then Conrad came up and wanted to seize upon some of it, and she cried,
“O wind, blow Conrad’s hat away,
Make him run after as it flies,
While I with my gold hair will play,
And do it up in seemly wise.”
Then the wind came and blew Conrad’s hat very far away, so that he had to run after it, and when he came back again her hair was put up again, so that he could pull none of it out; and they tended the geese until the evening.
And after they had got home, Conrad went to the old King and said, “I will tend the geese no longer with that girl!”
“Why not?” asked the old King.
“Because she vexes 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 was really only a waiting-woman, and that the true bride was here at hand, she who had been the goose-girl.
The Prince was glad at heart when he saw her beauty and gentleness; and a great feast was made ready, and all the court people and good friends were bidden to it. The bridegroom sat in the midst with the Princess on one side and the waiting-woman on the other; and the false bride did not know the true one, because she was dazzled with her glittering braveries. When all the company had eaten and drunk and were merry, the old King gave the waiting-woman a question to answer, as to what such an one deserved, who had deceived her masters in such and such a manner, telling the whole story, and ending by asking,
“Now, what doom does such an one deserve?”
“No better than this,” answered the false bride, “that she be put naked into a cask, studded inside with sharp nails, and be dragged along in it by two white horses from street to street, until she be dead.”
“Thou hast spoken thy own doom,” said the old King; “as thou hast said, so shall it be done.” And when the sentence was fulfilled, the Prince married the true bride, and ever after they ruled over their kingdom in peace and blessedness.
Read more: Household Stories By the Brothers Grimm…
- Clever Grethel: A Funny Grimm Fairy Tale About a Clever Cook
- The Six Soldiers of Fortune: A Clever Grimm Fairy Tale About Six Extraordinary Men
- The Cat and the Mouse in Partnership: A Grimm Fairy Tale About Trust and Greed
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