by Herman Grimm
Once was a Queen who was widowed * quite eager for her only daughter,
Who had been promised in marriage*, arranged since her birthdate
To be sent off to the neighboring kingdom* to be wed to the King’s son.
Packing her most precious jewels,* gold vessels and riches to carry,
Thinking it would serve as dowry* =the queen helped her daughter get ready.
She sent her speaking horse, which* had belonged to the King, who had perished.
–FALADA was her good horse named-.* He was .able to talk with the Princess.
Pricking her finger, the mother,* then let three red drops from her bloodstream.
Fall on her handkerchief of purest white* to protect her dear daughter.
‘Keep the cloth safe.’ said her mother.* the girl tucked it into her bodice.
When her good mother had ordered* a maid to go with her as servant,
The loving Queen bade her go * and seek what her destiny offered.
Sadly the two said ‘Goodbye’* both knowing they were to be parted.
Each of the travelers had* a good horse for the journey. The Princess
Had her horse ‘FALADA; and* the maidservant had a good workhorse.
After a while on the trail,* the young Princess was terribly thirsty.
‘Please take my cup to the streamlet* and get me a drink of pure water.’
Though she had asked quite politely,* the maidservant curtly refused her.
‘Go get your own water, princess,* for I will not give you your goblet’.
So the good Princess went down* to drink from the water that flowed there.
Saying, ‘Ah Heaven.’. quite sadly,* the Princess drank deep and was sated.
Then spoke the THREE MAGIC BLOOD-DROPS:
‘If your dear mother knew this,
Her heart would be broken in two.’
But the young Princess was humble;* she continued to ride down. the pathway.
As the hot sun burned quite brightly,* the Princess grew stifled and thirsty.
She dared to ask if the servant* would fill up her goblet with water.
Haughtily then the maidservant* declared that she would not fetch water.
‘I am no longer your servant,* so don’t expect me to obey you!’
Then the young Princess dismounted* and bent down to sip the cool water,
Saying, ‘Ah Heaven!’ she wept,* and the blood on the white cloth then answered:
‘If your dear mother knew this,
Her heart would be broken in two.’
But as she lay near the streamlet* to drink, her white handkerchief drifted
Down to the water and floated* away with the flow of the current.
She didn’t see what had happened* but the maid had observed the occurrence.
Knowing that all of the magic* the good Queen had hoped would protect her
Had disappeared with the loss* of the handkerchief with the THREE BLOOD DROPS…
Now had the Princess grown weaker;* soon all of her power had vanished.
However, FALADA noted* all that had happened quite clearly.
When she got back to the pathway,* the servant said, ‘FALADA’s mine now.
You’ll have to mount my old nag,* and you’ll give me your royal apparel.
Now you can put on my shabby* old clothes for I am the princess.
And you are nothing but my* little maid for I amthe bride here.
And if you do not agree* and promise you’ll tell not a person,
By the blue sky up above,* I will kill you at this very moment.’
Then, did the Princess comply* for she was afraid and enfeebled.
When they arrived at the castle,* the Prince saw the false bride’s fine clothing.
Thinking she was the true Princess,* he assumed that ‘twas she who would wed him.
He swiftly helped her dismount* and took her straightway to the castle.
Much celebration ensued* but the old King looked out from his window.
Spying the true Princess standing* alone and outside in the courtyard,
He saw how lovely and dainty* she was and he wondered about her.
Asking the false princess then* who it was standing out in the courtyard,
He was informed that the girl* was picked up from the road on the journey,
‘I took her on as companion.* .So give her some task to fulfil here,
She might become fat and idle.’* The King had no work for the servant,
Who was in fact the true Princess* ’Perhaps she could help the young laddie,
Herding the geese in the meadow.’* The true Princess went with young Conrad
Every day as the goose girl’* The false bride was wed to the King’s son.
Feeling afraid that the horse* called FALADA would fight for justice
And utter words in attempt* to reveal how the false bride deceived them;
The guilty princess called to* her husband, and asked him to help her.
‘Husband I have a request:* You remember the horse that I rode on,
When I first came here to wed you?* You must call the knacker this morning,
And then command him to cut* off his head, for he vexed me so often.’
But, when the true Princess saw* that FALADA had gotten slaughtered,
She paid the knacker to hang* the horse head in the dark of the gateway.
She had to pass throughthat portal* when she herded the geese to the meadow
Thus she could see her own horse*.every day, and remember him fondly.
So though the knacker cut off* his head,* it was under the gateway.
The real Princess beheld* her own horse, and she spoke to him this way:
‘Alas, my FALADA hanging there’….
And her FALADA answered her thus:
‘Alas my Queen,, ,How ill you fare
And if your mother knew,
Her heart would break in two.’
Now the true Princess and Conrad* the lad, made their way to the meadow
And when they got there, she unbound* her hair, which was lustrous and golden.
Conrad could see how it glowed,* ‘Oh, to pluck a few strands of her tresses!’:
Then said the Princess:
‘Blow. blow thou gentle wind I say
and make him chase his hat, away
’Til I have braided all my hair
And bound it up again.’
There came a violent wind* and it blew Conrad’s hat in a flurry
Then the poor lad tried to chase it* desiring the strands of her tresses.
But he could see that her hair* was bound up so he couldn’t get to it
So they continued to tend* to the geese further out in the meadow.
But when the lad returned home* he had something to say to the Monarch;;
‘’I will not herd any geese* with that girl, for she vexes me daily
Then, did the aged king ask*what the girl did each day to annoy him.
‘Well’, said the lad, ‘when we pass* there beneath the dark gateway. each morning,
There is a horse-head stuck up* on the wall and she speaks to it, saying:
‘Alas, my FALADA hanging there.’
And her FALADA answers her thus:
‘Alas, my Queen, how ill you fare,’
And if your mother knew,
Her heart would break in two.’
Conrad went on to relate* how he raced back and forth like a fool would,
When the wild wind had blustered* and blown his best hat o’er the meadows.
‘I was annoyed due to that.* This girl, I will work with no longer!’
The aged king then replied* ‘You must drive your block out tomorrow.’
And on the following day* the King took the path to the gateway.
Waiting there under the gateway* he heard what the goose girl did utter.
How the horse FALADA spoke,* then he also went out to the meadow.
Hidden there out in the bushes* he saw and heard all that there happened.
When the girl let down her hair,* it shone with a glorious splendor.
Here are the words that she uttered
‘Blow, blow, thou gentle wind, I say.
Blow Conrad’s hat away.
And make him chase it here and there,
Until I’ve braided all my hair.
And bound it up again.’
Then came a blast of wild wind,* and again Conrad’s hat was blown over
Grasslands and hills, while the girl* sitting still in the meadow continued
Combing her golden-hued tresses* and when the young lad hurried back, then,
Plaited and tame were her tresses* no strand of her hair could be taken.
Then the good King went away* and no one had known of his presence.
.And when the girl had returned* in the evening past the dark gateway,
Waiting for her was the King,* and he told her then what he’d noticed.
‘Why are you doing these things?* he asked: and the young girl gave answer.
“I’m not allowed to lament* my sorrows to any live person.
This I have sworn by the heavens* above, else I’d surely be murdered.’
Though the king urged her she would not* utter a word to the Monarch.
‘Well, if you won’t talk to me* then please tell it all to the red chimney.
And the iron grate in the kitchen.’* So then, the young Princess, while weeping,
Told all her fears and her troubles* and how the false maid had betrayed her.
‘I am a rightful King’s daughter;* my maid forced me to exchange clothing.
She’s wearing all my apparel* and she took my place with the bridegroom.
I must now tend to the geese…and do all the chores of a servant:’
‘If my own dear mother knew this,
Her heart would be broken in two!’
Hearing what she told the fireplace*- while standing up high on a ladder,
He realized the true Bride was this girl* and he sent for his son at that moment.
Then the good King bade her welcome.*- She was dressed and adorned like a Princess-.
When his son saw his own beautiful Bride,* he rejoiced; and they both were.’in heaven’.
Soon a great feast was being* prepared, and they all had dinner.
On the left side of the King* sat the son and his false wife, as usual.
Next to the King on the right side,* the true royal Princess was sitting.
But the false queen did not recognize her.* The old King spoke not often:
When they had eaten and drunk* the King turned to the false Queen and asked her:
‘What would the punishment be* for a maid who had done such an evil?’
Then he related the ‘tale’* of a maidservant.s awful betrayal.
Then the false queen gave her answer* ‘That maid should be stripped of her clothing,
Placed in a barrel that’s studded* with nails.- Two white horses. in harness,
Should drag the barrel right over* the streets, Yea, until she has perished!’
‘‘You are the false Queen.’ replied* the old Monarch; ‘you will be so punished!
For it is you who pronounced* your own sentence, which will be completed.’
After the punishmentended,* the young King did marry his Princess.
Over the Kingdom they reigned,* in peace and in joyful abundance.
(Hexameter by Katherine Rudolph)