and set off on her journey to her bridegroom’s kingdom.  One day, as they were riding along by the side of a brook, the princess began to feel very thirsty, and said to her maid, “Pray get down and fetch me some water, in my golden cup, out of yonder brook, for I want to drink.”  “Nay,” said the maid, “if you are thirsty, get down yourself, and lie down by the water and drink; I shall not be your waiting-maid any longer.”  Then the princess was so thirsty that she got down, and knelt over the brook and drank, for she was frightened, and dared not bring out her golden cup; and then she wept, and said “Alas! what will become of me?” And the lock of hair answered her, and said—­

      “Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it,
      Sadly, sadly her heart would rue it.”

But the princess was very humble and meek, so she said nothing to her maid’s ill behaviour, but got upon her horse again.

Then all rode further on their journey, till the day grew so warm, and the sun so scorching, that the bride began to feel very thirsty again; and at last, when they came to a river, she forgot her maid’s rude speech, and said, “Pray get down and fetch me some water to drink in my golden cup.”  But the maid answered her, and even spoke more haughtily than before, “Drink, if you will, but I shall not be your waiting-maid.”  Then the princess was so thirsty that she got off her horse and lay down, and held her head over the running stream, and cried, and said, “What will become of me?” And the lock of hair answered her again—­

      “Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it,
      Sadly, sadly her heart would rue it.”

And as she leaned down to drink, the lock of hair fell from her bosom and floated away with the water, without her seeing it, she was so frightened.  But her maid saw it, and was very glad, for she knew the charm, and saw that the poor bride would be in her power now that she had lost the hair.  So when the bride had drunk, and would have got upon Falada again, the maid said, “I shall ride upon Falada and you may have my horse instead;” so she was forced to give up her horse, and soon afterwards to take off her royal clothes, and put on her maid’s shabby ones.

At last, as they drew near the end of the journey, this treacherous servant threatened to kill her mistress if she ever told anyone what had happened.  But Falada saw it all, and marked it well.  Then the waiting-maid got upon Falada, and the real bride was set upon the other horse, and they went on in this way till at last they came to the royal court.  There was great joy at their coming, the prince hurried to meet them, and lifted the maid from her horse, thinking she was the one who was to be his wife; and she was led upstairs to the royal chamber, but the true princess was told to stay in the court below.

[Illustration]