Season 2 -- Episode 8 FairyTale Time! The Goose Girl

Hello, and welcome to the Storied Human. Today we're gonna go down a slightly different path. As you may know, I love books and I love stories. So I'd like to share one with you that you may not know, it's from my past, I actually used to act out the story with a friend of mine during recess in fourth grade, we were sort of obsessed with fairy tales, this one in particular, for some unknown reason, because if you've ever read the original Grimm fairy tales, they're pretty grim. They're pretty gory, and we were only nine years old. I'm not sure where we put some of these, the greenness of some of these fairy tales, but it definitely meant something to us. And through the years, I always thought back to how cool that was to share fairy tales with someone. And I'm still friends with Lisa and I was talking to her about it. And we just always loved stories and acting out stories and sharing them. And I think we got the feeling of the moral lessons that are woven in fairy tales. We just didn't of course, articulate them. So this story, the Goose Girl, it's about a beautiful girl with golden hair, and she's betrothed to a prince from a faraway kingdom, the girl and her maid, they head out on the long journey towards the princesses new home. Little did they know that the girl had a maid that was so jealous of her hair, that she was going to switch places with her. And it's so unfair, because she gets away with it for a while. And I think that really bothered me and Lisa, but it's a story about truly about endurance, the princess indoors, a lot of injustice. And eventually things are set. Right. And it's such a cool story for that reason. And I think that's really what we gleaned from it, we were very outraged at how unfairly she was treated. But then we were really happy that things are right in the end. And that's what a lot of fairytales did. They reinforced morals for children and adults, and they, they did so in a really memorable way. And I've sort of been fascinated with them my whole life. And there is, when I had kids, I'd found a fairy tale section in the library. And I was delighted. And I returned to the world of fairy tales and found so many from all over the world and read a lot of them to my kids. And another one of my very favorites is East of the Sun and West of the Moon, which is such a cool title. Because if you think of it, it's about as far away from each other as you can imagine, you know, in in, in fairy tale language right East of the Sun. I mean, East where the sun comes up is the farthest that we can think of. But it's east of that. And then West of the Moon, if you think of the moon setting, it's west of that. So it's just like this really far away place where things happen. And it's such a fun story. Because again, there's moral lessons. One of them is this happens over and over in fairy tales, you have to do what you're told exactly, you have to follow the directions exactly. And if you don't, things will happen to you. So if the old woman on the side of the road tells you to do this exact thing, you have to do it exactly. Or if your neighbor tells you never to do this, you have to never do it. And so though the punishments seem harsh in these stories, I think they come from a time like, because the grim fairy tales are hundreds of years old, they're retelling a very old tales. And so back then, like 1000 years ago, your life depended on following directions. You know, you didn't live in a civilized world where there was, you know, safety and people weren't aware always of, you know, where the crimes were happening or where the trouble was, or the danger and, and danger from nature was a lot more real. And the forest was a terrifying place. And so all those things show up in the fairy tales. And, you know, people weren't literate. And so they told these stories to reinforce, especially to children, that you must follow the rules if you want to stay alive, and it literally was if you want to stay alive. So I'm fascinated when we look back on them, how effectively they did this, and how story just never gets old. People are still fascinated by stories. We you know, from a really long time ago, we still tell Aesop's Fables. They're still wonderful, simple truths in them. Everyone knows about the rabbit that hurried and was careless and rested during the race and the turtle that was sure and steady. It's a wonderful lesson. And that's an Aesop Fable. So there's so much to be learned. And there's so much about being human that comes to us when we read these old old stories. So I thought I would share this one with you today, because it's especially important to me, so I give you without any further ado, the Goose Girl. There was once upon a time, an old queen, whose husband had been dead for many years, and she had a beautiful daughter. When the princess grew up, she was betrothed to a prince who lived at a great distance, when the time came for her to be married, and she had to journey forth into the distant Kingdom. The aged Queen packed up for her many costly vessels of silver and gold, and trinkets, also of gold and silver, and cups and jewels. In short, everything which appertained to a royal dowry, for she loved her child with all her heart. She likewise sent her maid in waiting, who was to ride with her and hand her over to the brood bridegroom, and each had a horse for the journey. But the horse of the king's daughter was called the Lada, and could speak. So when the hour of parting had come, the aged mother went into her bedroom, took a small knife, and cut her finger with it, until it bled. Then she held a white handkerchief to it into which she let three drops of blood fall, gave it to her daughter and said, Dear child, preserved this carefully, it will be of service to you on your way. So they took a sorrowful leave of each other, the princess put the piece of cloth in her bosom, mounted her horse, and then went away to her bridegroom. After she had written for a while, she felt a burning thirst and said to her waiting, made, dismount and take my cup, which thou hast brought with thee for me, and get get me some water from the stream, for I should like to drink. If you are thirsty, said the waiting maid, get off your horse yourself, and lie down and drink out of the water. I don't choose to be your servant. So in her great thirst, the princess elated, bent down over the water in the stream and drank and was not allowed to drink out of the golden cup. Then she said, Ah, heaven, and the three drops of blood answered. If the mother knew this, her heart would break. But the king's daughter was humble, and said nothing and mounted her horse again. She wrote some miles further, but the day was warm, the sun scorched her, and she was thirsty once more. And when they came to a stream of water, she again cried to her waiting made, dismount and give me some water in my golden cup, for she had long ago forgotten the girls Bill words. But the waiting Mead said still more heartily. If you wish to drink, drink as you can. I don't choose to be your servant. Then in her great thirst, the king's daughter alighted, bent over the flowing stream, wept and said, Ah, heaven, and the drops of blood again replied, If my mother knew this, her heart would break. And as she was thus drinking, and leaning right over the stream, the handkerchief with the three drops of blood, fell out of her bosom, and floated away with the water without her observing it so great was her trouble. The waiting maid, however, had seen it, and she rejoiced to think that she now had power over the bride. For since the princess had lost the drops of blood, she had become weak and powerless. So now when she wanted to mount her horse again, the one that was called filata, the waiting maid said, Florida is more suitable to Me, and My nag will do for the, and the princess had to be content with that, than the waiting made with many hard words, bade the princess exchanged her royal apparel for her own shabby clothes. And at length, she was compelled to swear by the clear sky above that she would not say one word of this to anyone at the Royal Court, and if she had not taken this oath, she would have been killed on the spot. But filata saw all this, and observed it well. The waiting maid now mounted filata, and the true bride the bad horse, and thus they traveled onwards, until at length, they entered the royal palace. There were great rejoicings over her arrival, and the prince sprang forward to meet her, lifted the waiting made from her horse and thought she was his consort. She was conducted upstairs, but the real princess was left standing below. Then the old king looked out of the window and saw her standing in the courtyard, and how dainty and delicate and beautiful she was, and instantly went to the royal apartment and asked the bride about the girl she had with her, who was standing down below in the courtyard and who was she? I picked her up on my way for a companion. Give the girls something to work at, but she may not stand idle. But the old king had no work for her and knew of none. So he said, I have a little boy who tends to goose she may help him. The boy was called Conrad, and the true bride had to help him to attend the geese. Soon afterwards, the false bride said to the young king, dearest husband, I begged you to do me a favor, he answered, I will do so most willingly, then send for the knacker and have the head of the horse on which I wrote here, cut off, for it vexed me on the way. In reality, she was afraid that the horse might tell us she had behaved to the king's daughter. Then she succeeded in making the king promise that it should be done, and the faithful filata was to die. This came to the ears of the real princess, and she secretly promised to pay the knacker a piece of gold, if you would perform a small service for her. There was a great dark looking gateway in the town, through which morning and evening, she had to pass with the geese, would he be so good as to nail up the lodges head on it, so that she might see him again, more than once? The knackers man promised to do that, and cut off the head and nailed it fast beneath the dark gateway. Early in the morning, when she and Conrad drove, drove out the flock beneath the gateway, she said in passing, alas, filata hanging there. Then the head answered the last young queen, how ill you fare. If this your tender mother knew her heart would surely break and true. Then they went still further out of the town, and drove their geese into the country. And when they came to the meadow, she sat down and unbound her hair, which was like pure gold, and Conrad saw it and delighted in its brightness, and wanted to pluck out a few hairs. Then she said, blow, blow, thou gentle wind, I say, blue Conrad's little hat away. And I make him chase it, here and there until I have braided all my hair, and bound it up again. And there was such a violent wind that a blue Conrad's had far across the country. He was forced to run after it. When he came back, she had finished combing her hair, and was putting it up again, and he could not get any of it. Then Conrad was angry, and would not speak to her. And thus they watch the geese until the evening, and then they went home. Next day, when they were driving the geese out through the dark gateway, the maiden said, Alas, Falada, hanging there. filata answered the last young queen, how ill you fare? Oh, if this your tender mother knew her heart would surely break into. And she sat down again in the field, and began to comb out her hair, and Conrad ran and tried to catch it. So that tried to collect it. So she said in haste, blow blow thou gentle wind, I say, blow Conrad's little hat away, and make him chase it here and there until I have braided all my hair and bound it up again. Then the wind blew and blew his little hat off his head and far away, and Conrad was forced to run after it. And when he when it came back, her hair had been put up a long time, and he could get none of it. And they looked after the geese till evening came, but in the evening after they got home, Conrad went to the old king and said, I won't tend the geese with that girl any longer. Why not inquire the agent king. Oh, because she vexes me the whole day long. Then the aged king commanded him to relate what it was that she did to him, and Conrad said in the morning, when we passed beneath the dark gateway with the flock, there is a sorry horse's head on the wall, and she says to it, alas, flauta hanging there, and the head replies, alas, young queen, how will you fare? If this your tender mother knew her heart was surely breaking too, and Conrad went on to relate what happened on the goose pasture, and how when, how, when there he had to chase his hat. The agent king commanded him to drive his flock out again next day, and as soon as morning came, He placed himself behind the dark gateway, and heard how the maidens spoke to the head of filata. And then he too, went into the country, and hid himself in the thicket in the meadow. There he soon saw with his own eyes, the Goose Girl and the goose boy, bringing their flock and how, after a while, she sat down, and unplated her hair, which shone with radiance. And soon she said, blow, blow, thou gentle wind, I say, blow Conrad's little hat away, and make him chase it Hear in there until I've braided all my hair and bounded up again. Then came a blast of wind and carried off Conrad's hat, so that he had to run far away, while the maiden quietly went on combing and plating her hair, all of which the king observed, then quite unseen, he went away. And when the Goose Girl came home in the evening, he called her aside and asked why she did all these things. I may not tell you that, and I dare not lament any sorrows to any human being, for I have swore not to do so by the Heaven, which is above me. If I had not done that I should have lost my life. He urged her and left her no peace, but he could draw nothing from her. Then said he, if that will not tell me anything, tell the sorrows to the iron stove there, and he went away. Then she crept into the iron stove, and began to weep and lament, and emptied her whole heart and said, Here am I deserted by the whole world, and yet I am a king's daughter, and a false waiting maid has by force brought me to such a pass, that I have been compelled to put off my royal apparel, and she has taken my place with my bridegroom, and I have to perform menial service as a Goose Girl, if my mother did but know that her heart would break. The aged King, however, was standing outside by the pipe of the stove, and was listening to what she said, and heard it. Then he came back again and bade her come out of the stove, and royal garments were placed on her, and it was marvelous how beautiful she was. The aged king summoned his son, and revealed to him that he had got the false bride who was only awaiting me, but that the true one was standing there, as the sometime Goose Girl, the young king rejoice with all his heart when he saw her beauty and youth, and a great feast was made ready, to which all the people and all good friends were invited, at the head of the table, set the bridegroom with the king's daughter, at one side of him, and the waiting made on the other. But the waiting maid was blinded, and did not recognize the princess in her dazzling array. When they had eaten and drunk, and were Mary, the aged King asked the waiting maid as a riddle, what a person deserved who had behaved in such a such a way to her master, and at the same time, related the whole story and ask what sentence such as one such such a one merited. Thus the false bride said, she deserves no better fate, than to be stripped entirely naked, and put in a barrel, which is studded inside with pointed nails at two white horses should be harnessed to it, which will drag her through one street after another, until she is dead. It is thou said the agent King, and now has pronounced thine own sentence, and thus shall it be done unto thee. And when this sentence had been carried out, the young king married his true bride, and both of them reigned over their kingdom in peace and happiness. I hope you enjoyed this story. But do you see what I mean about the greenness? I mean, what a way to go. And I can't believe that we like sort of absorbed that at nine years old, and we were like, Oh, well, she was bad. So she got punished. It's a crazy story. And I'm not sure why we liked it so much. But it is a great reminder about enduring what you're forced to go through keeping your promises she had, she had integrity. She feared for her life, of course, but she kept her promise and the wisdom of the king that he finagled away to get the truth out of her. I just think it's an interesting fairy tale. Thanks for listening, and I'll talk to you soon