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little time, she let down her hair that glittered in the sun. And then
he heard her say:

'Blow, breezes, blow!
Let Curdken's hat go!
Blow, breezes, blow!
Let him after it go!
O'er hills, dales, and rocks,
Away be it whirl'd
Till the silvery locks
Are all comb'd and curl'd!

And soon came a gale of wind, and carried away Curdken's hat, and away
went Curdken after it, while the girl went on combing and curling her
hair. All this the old king saw: so he went home without being seen;
and when the little goose-girl came back in the evening he called her
aside, and asked her why she did so: but she burst into tears, and
said, 'That I must not tell you or any man, or I shall lose my life.'

But the old king begged so hard, that she had no peace till she had
told him all the tale, from beginning to end, word for word. And it
was very lucky for her that she did so, for when she had done the king
ordered royal clothes to be put upon her, and gazed on her with
wonder, she was so beautiful. Then he called his son and told him that
he had only a false bride; for that she was merely a waiting-maid,
while the true bride stood by. And the young king rejoiced when he saw
her beauty, and heard how meek and patient she had been; and without
saying anything to the false bride, the king ordered a great feast to
be got ready for all his court. The bridegroom sat at the top, with
the false princess on one side, and the true one on the other; but
nobody knew her again, for her beauty was quite dazzling to their
eyes; and she did not seem at all like the little goose-girl, now that
she had her brilliant dress on.

When they had eaten and drank, and were very merry, the old king said
he would tell them a tale. So he began, and told all the story of the
princess, as if it was one that he had once heard; and he asked the
true waiting-maid what she thought ought to be done to anyone who
would behave thus. 'Nothing better,' said this false bride, 'than that
she should be thrown into a cask stuck round with sharp nails, and
that two white horses should be put to it, and should drag it from
street to street till she was dead.' 'Thou art she!' said the old
king; 'and as thou has judged thyself, so shall it be done to thee.'
And the young king was then married to his true wife, and they reigned
over the kingdom in peace and happiness all their lives; and the good
fairy came to see them, and restored the faithful Falada to life
again.



THE ADVENTURES OF CHANTICLEER AND PARTLET


1. HOW THEY WENT TO THE MOUNTAINS TO EAT NUTS

'The nuts are quite ripe now,' said Chanticleer to his wife Partlet,
'suppose we go together to the mountains, and eat as many as we can,
before the squirrel takes them all away.' 'With all my heart,' said
Partlet, 'let us go and make a holiday of it together.'

So they went to the mountains; and as it was a lovely day, they stayed
there till the evening. Now, whether it was that they had eaten so

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