"Many a time I thought of her, and cried because she was so
unhappy. Well, she traveled from place to place, footsore and
weary, but in her own country no one dared aid her, for fear of
displeasing the wicked fairy, who at this time was all powerful.
So she entered a strange land, where some peasants took her in,
clothed and fed her, and gave her a staff and a flock of geese
to tend. And day after day she guarded the flock, telling her
sorrows to the dog, how she missed the dear ones and the home of
her childhood.
"One day the reigning prince of this strange land passed by
while hunting, and he saw the princess tending her geese. He
made inquiries, and when he found that the beautiful goose-girl
was a princess, he offered to marry her. She consented to become
his wife, because she was too delicate to drudge. So she and her
dog went to live at the palace. Once she was married the dog
behaved strangely, whining softly, and refusing to be consoled.
The prince was very kind to them both.
"Alas! It seems that when she left her own country the good
fairy had lost all track of her, to find her when it was too
late.
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