Stranica 40 [40]
HERE 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 gentle¬
woman 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 heron 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.”