Day 5 has come, and there are still hours in the day...
Okay, so this next one is a retelling of the Goose Girl. Now, once again, this is a rough summary. But hey, I'm posting it well before midnight. Which is good since I should probably get some sleep. I have a lot I should do, but I just never do it.
So, there is this very poor kingdom that is really going through a bad time. So poor that when they have to send the princess off to meet her betrothed, the only person going with her is one maid-in-waiting. The queen is understandably worried about her daughter traveling
So, the queen gives her daughter her magical talking horse and a token to keep her safe. The princess sets off on her journey. But she is such a sweet kind and timid little girl that the maid easily takes advantage of her. Once the princess loses the token, the maid takes full advantage and switches places with the princess.
Oh, and I forgot to mention, this arranged marriage is something the princess's family is hoping will help their kingdom. They are counting on the princess to convince the prince of the other kingdom to help them out.
Well, the maid basically blackmails/scares the princess into being quiet. In fact, she scares the princess so bad that the princess practically becomes mute. The maid tells the princess that if she tells anyone then the maid will make sure that no help ever makes it to the princess's home.
In the princess's nicest clothes, the maid is actually quite good looking. And the princess looks very plain next to her as she is dressed as the maid. So when they arrive, it is very easily assumed that the maid is the princess. The maid says that they can give her mute servant another job because she is tired of inept service, and she orders the magical talking horse to be butchered.
Well, for lack of anything better, the princess gets assigned to help watch over the flock of geese that are being raised in preparation of the wedding feast. And the silent little goose girl manages to at least salvage the horse's head. The other goose herder thinks she's a little weird, but puts the head up on the gate to the pasture just to humor her. He tells her that the moment the head starts to smell and rot and gather flies it's going down. He figures it would happen in a very short time.
Well, everyone is preparing for the marriage of the prince. The goose boy talks to the goose girl about the up coming marriage (and he quite likes the fact that the little goose girl never talks back cause he can say what he wants and not worry about anyone finding out.)
Okay. So the goose boy is quite unrestrained in letting his opinion be known, at least by someone who isn't going to get him in trouble for it.
He thinks the princess that's come is a complete ditz (a nicer way of saying that he really doesn't think much of her) who comes from a second rate kingdom and is going to basically not be good for the prince.
The goose boy is pretty sure that the princess won't stay true. And he complains that she's already acting like she's boss of everything. The goose boy then goes on about how the only reason why the prince is engaged to this princess is to redeem the fact that his brother who had been crown prince had renounced the crown and had gone off and married a commoner and pretty much left for good.
Well, the goose girl quietly helps herd the sheep while the goose boy goes off on his opinion of court politics and how he'll get an awful beating if the head of the servants finds out he's been talking again.
The goose boy comments about the horse head (how it has been several days and it kind of looks like it's still alive and that's just creepy). As he is walking off, he is positive he hears someone say some words of pity about the princess, but the only one with him is the goose girl and he doesn't see anyone anywhere.
This mysterious voice, he realizes, has actually been happening a lot lately and he keeps trying to catch the speaker. He teases the goose girl, part of him wondering if she's spying on him. He gives her braid a pull and she squeals a little, proving to him that she isn't mute.
After that the goose boy does all he can to try and get the goose girl to talk. Finally, after all mysterious voice incidents and the goose girl not saying a word, the goose boy stalks off while the goose girl is combing her hair and watching the geese. For lack of anything else to yell at, he vents his frustrations to the horse head for all the crappy things that have been happening lately. He complains that first of all the horse head should have rotted and fallen off weeks ago, and that the darn goose girl won't say a word.
To his surprise the horse answers, revealing to the goose boy that it is the mysterious voice. The horse says something to the effect that the same thing that keeps the goose girl from speaking is what keeps him (the horse) from moving on to heaven. But he cannot tell the goose boy what it is, for it is the young maiden that must speak up. Until then, all the horse can do is watch over her sadly.
After that, the goose boy starts really trying to get the goose girl to talk to him, but this time without the tormenting. After a while, he makes some progress by getting her to write and occasionally say a few words, but she won't say what happened. But the goose boy is smart. He listens to the few cryptic things the horse says and pieces together that maybe this girl is actually the princess. When he guesses that he apologizes for being mean.
The goose boy then goes to the prince and tells him what he thinks he has discovered. The prince is curious (like everyone else, the prince isn't exactly charmed by the imposter even though she looks pretty. He's just sticking with going through the marriage out of duty) and so he hides near the pasture and listens. A talking horse head is one thing, but the little goose girl certainly has a bit of regal air to her. The prince talks with his dad and they conspire to try to get the goose girl to talk. Eventually they have the goose boy convince her that she can tell her sad tale to a stove because she looks like she'll fall apart if she doesn't say something. The goose boy says that he'll watch the geese until she feels like she has said everything.
The goose girl princess really does just need to cry and say out loud everything that has happened, and she is unaware that the king and prince are listening. The king and prince do feel a little guilty because they really were just going to ignore her little kingdom's plea for help because they really didn't think things were that bad there. The prince talks with the goose girl and tells her that he knows she is the real princess and if she isn't then she should tell him so. Because if she is the real princess then he would be willing to help her kingdom, but if the imposter is the real princess then he would not want to help that kingdom at all.
The princess tells him it is true and the prince and the king work to set the situation right. the princess does look quite splendid when she is dressed not as a goose girl. In fact, the maid had completely forgotten about her that she didn't recognize her at all at the dinner the night before the wedding. The king asks the maid about what should be done to one who has betrayed her mistress so. The maid is not paying attention and does not notice that the question he is posing is her own treachery.
The maid says that the person should be stuck in a nail studded barrel and rode out of town. The king tells her that she just gave her own punishment. The maid is disposed of and the real princess marries the prince. Not long after that, the prince helps out the princess's family like he said he would.
Lamp and Trench thank the goose boy for giving them shelter from the stormy weather and for the story. As they leave, they walk past the gate with the horse's head on it. Lamp bids the horse farewell and Trench looks only mildly surprised that it answers. As they are almost out of earshot, they can hear the goose boy commenting to the horse that they handled a talking horse head pretty well.
So, there is this very poor kingdom that is really going through a bad time. So poor that when they have to send the princess off to meet her betrothed, the only person going with her is one maid-in-waiting. The queen is understandably worried about her daughter traveling
So, the queen gives her daughter her magical talking horse and a token to keep her safe. The princess sets off on her journey. But she is such a sweet kind and timid little girl that the maid easily takes advantage of her. Once the princess loses the token, the maid takes full advantage and switches places with the princess.
Oh, and I forgot to mention, this arranged marriage is something the princess's family is hoping will help their kingdom. They are counting on the princess to convince the prince of the other kingdom to help them out.
Well, the maid basically blackmails/scares the princess into being quiet. In fact, she scares the princess so bad that the princess practically becomes mute. The maid tells the princess that if she tells anyone then the maid will make sure that no help ever makes it to the princess's home.
In the princess's nicest clothes, the maid is actually quite good looking. And the princess looks very plain next to her as she is dressed as the maid. So when they arrive, it is very easily assumed that the maid is the princess. The maid says that they can give her mute servant another job because she is tired of inept service, and she orders the magical talking horse to be butchered.
Well, for lack of anything better, the princess gets assigned to help watch over the flock of geese that are being raised in preparation of the wedding feast. And the silent little goose girl manages to at least salvage the horse's head. The other goose herder thinks she's a little weird, but puts the head up on the gate to the pasture just to humor her. He tells her that the moment the head starts to smell and rot and gather flies it's going down. He figures it would happen in a very short time.
Well, everyone is preparing for the marriage of the prince. The goose boy talks to the goose girl about the up coming marriage (and he quite likes the fact that the little goose girl never talks back cause he can say what he wants and not worry about anyone finding out.)
Okay. So the goose boy is quite unrestrained in letting his opinion be known, at least by someone who isn't going to get him in trouble for it.
He thinks the princess that's come is a complete ditz (a nicer way of saying that he really doesn't think much of her) who comes from a second rate kingdom and is going to basically not be good for the prince.
The goose boy is pretty sure that the princess won't stay true. And he complains that she's already acting like she's boss of everything. The goose boy then goes on about how the only reason why the prince is engaged to this princess is to redeem the fact that his brother who had been crown prince had renounced the crown and had gone off and married a commoner and pretty much left for good.
Well, the goose girl quietly helps herd the sheep while the goose boy goes off on his opinion of court politics and how he'll get an awful beating if the head of the servants finds out he's been talking again.
The goose boy comments about the horse head (how it has been several days and it kind of looks like it's still alive and that's just creepy). As he is walking off, he is positive he hears someone say some words of pity about the princess, but the only one with him is the goose girl and he doesn't see anyone anywhere.
This mysterious voice, he realizes, has actually been happening a lot lately and he keeps trying to catch the speaker. He teases the goose girl, part of him wondering if she's spying on him. He gives her braid a pull and she squeals a little, proving to him that she isn't mute.
After that the goose boy does all he can to try and get the goose girl to talk. Finally, after all mysterious voice incidents and the goose girl not saying a word, the goose boy stalks off while the goose girl is combing her hair and watching the geese. For lack of anything else to yell at, he vents his frustrations to the horse head for all the crappy things that have been happening lately. He complains that first of all the horse head should have rotted and fallen off weeks ago, and that the darn goose girl won't say a word.
To his surprise the horse answers, revealing to the goose boy that it is the mysterious voice. The horse says something to the effect that the same thing that keeps the goose girl from speaking is what keeps him (the horse) from moving on to heaven. But he cannot tell the goose boy what it is, for it is the young maiden that must speak up. Until then, all the horse can do is watch over her sadly.
After that, the goose boy starts really trying to get the goose girl to talk to him, but this time without the tormenting. After a while, he makes some progress by getting her to write and occasionally say a few words, but she won't say what happened. But the goose boy is smart. He listens to the few cryptic things the horse says and pieces together that maybe this girl is actually the princess. When he guesses that he apologizes for being mean.
The goose boy then goes to the prince and tells him what he thinks he has discovered. The prince is curious (like everyone else, the prince isn't exactly charmed by the imposter even though she looks pretty. He's just sticking with going through the marriage out of duty) and so he hides near the pasture and listens. A talking horse head is one thing, but the little goose girl certainly has a bit of regal air to her. The prince talks with his dad and they conspire to try to get the goose girl to talk. Eventually they have the goose boy convince her that she can tell her sad tale to a stove because she looks like she'll fall apart if she doesn't say something. The goose boy says that he'll watch the geese until she feels like she has said everything.
The goose girl princess really does just need to cry and say out loud everything that has happened, and she is unaware that the king and prince are listening. The king and prince do feel a little guilty because they really were just going to ignore her little kingdom's plea for help because they really didn't think things were that bad there. The prince talks with the goose girl and tells her that he knows she is the real princess and if she isn't then she should tell him so. Because if she is the real princess then he would be willing to help her kingdom, but if the imposter is the real princess then he would not want to help that kingdom at all.
The princess tells him it is true and the prince and the king work to set the situation right. the princess does look quite splendid when she is dressed not as a goose girl. In fact, the maid had completely forgotten about her that she didn't recognize her at all at the dinner the night before the wedding. The king asks the maid about what should be done to one who has betrayed her mistress so. The maid is not paying attention and does not notice that the question he is posing is her own treachery.
The maid says that the person should be stuck in a nail studded barrel and rode out of town. The king tells her that she just gave her own punishment. The maid is disposed of and the real princess marries the prince. Not long after that, the prince helps out the princess's family like he said he would.
Lamp and Trench thank the goose boy for giving them shelter from the stormy weather and for the story. As they leave, they walk past the gate with the horse's head on it. Lamp bids the horse farewell and Trench looks only mildly surprised that it answers. As they are almost out of earshot, they can hear the goose boy commenting to the horse that they handled a talking horse head pretty well.