A version of the fairy tale collected by the
Brothers Grimm.
There was once upon a time a very old woman, who lived with her
flock of geese in a remote clearing in the mountains, and there
had a little house. The clearing was surrounded by a large forest,
and every morning the old woman took her crutch and hobbled
into it. There, however, she was quite active, more so than
any one would have thought, considering her age, and collected
grass for her geese, picked all the wild fruit she could
reach, and carried everything home on her back. Anyone would have
thought that the heavy load would have weighed her to the ground,
but she always brought it safely home. If anyone met her, she
greeted him quite courteously. "Good day, dear countryman, it
is a fine day. Ah, you wonder that I should drag grass about, but
everyone must take his burden on his back." Nevertheless, people
did not like to meet her if they could help it, and took by
preference a round-about way, and when a father with his boys
passed her, he whispered to them, "Beware of the old woman. She
has claws beneath her gloves. She is a witch."
One morning, a handsome young man was going through the forest.
The sun shone bright, the birds sang, a cool breeze crept
through the leaves, and he was full of joy and gladness. He
had as yet met no one, when he suddenly perceived the old witch
kneeling on the ground cutting grass with a sickle. She had
already thrust a whole load into her bundle, and near it stood
two baskets, which were filled with wild apples and pears. "But,
good little mother," said he, "how can you carry all that away?"
"I
must carry it, dear sir," answered she, "rich folk's children
have no need to do such things, but with the peasant folk the
saying goes, don't look behind you, you will only see how crooked
your back is.
"Will you help me?" she said, as he remained standing by her.
"You have still a straight back and young legs, it would be a
trifle to you. Besides, my house is not so very far from here,
it stands there on the heath behind the hill. How soon you
would bound up thither."
The young man took compassion on the
old woman. "My father is certainly no peasant," replied he, "but
a rich count. Nevertheless, that you may see that it is not only
peasants who can carry things, I shall take your bundle."
"If
you will try it," said she, "I shall be very glad. You will
certainly have to walk for an hour, but what will that matter to
you, only you must carry the apples and pears as well."
The young
man felt somewhat uneasy when he heard of an hour's walk, but the
old woman would not let him off, packed the bundle on his back,
and hung the two baskets on his arm. "See, it is quite light," said
she.
"No, it is not light," answered the count, and pulled a rueful
face. "Verily, the bundle weighs as heavily as if it were full of
cobblestones, and the apples and pears are as heavy as lead. I
can scarcely breathe." He had a mind to put everything down
again, but the old woman would not allow it. "Just look," said
she mockingly, "the young gentleman will not carry what I, an old
woman, have so often dragged along. You are ready with fine words,
but when it comes to be earnest, you want to take to your heels.
Why are you standing loitering there?" She continued, "Step out.
No one will take the bundle off again." As long as he walked on
level ground, it was still bearable, but when they came to the hill
and had to climb, and the stones rolled down under his feet as if
they were alive, it was beyond his strength. Drops of sweat stood
on his forehead, and ran, hot and cold, down his back.
"Mother,"
said he, "I can go no farther. I want to rest a little."
"Not
here," answered the old woman, "when we have arrived at our journey's
end, you can rest. But now you must go forward. Who knows
what good it may do you?"
"Old woman, you are becoming shameless,"
said the count, and tried to throw off the bundle, but he labored
in vain. It stuck as fast to his back as if it grew there.
He turned and twisted, but he could not get rid of it. The old
woman laughed at this, and sprang about quite delighted on
her crutch. "Don't get angry, dear sir," said she, "you are growing
as
red in the face as a turkey-cock. Carry your bundle patiently.
I shall give you a good present when we get home."
What could he do? He was obliged to submit to his fate, and
crawl along patiently behind the old woman. She seemed to grow
more and more nimble, and his burden still heavier. All
at once she made a bound, jumped on to the bundle and seated
herself on the top of it. And however withered she might be,
she was yet heavier than the stoutest country lass. The
youth's knees trembled, but when he did not go on, the old woman
hit him about the legs with a switch and with stinging-nettles.
Groaning continually, he climbed the mountain, and at length
reached the old woman's house, when he was just about to drop.
When the geese perceived the old woman, they flapped their wings,
stretched out their necks, ran to meet her, cackling all the
while. Behind the flock walked, stick in hand, an old wench,
strong and big, but ugly as night. "Good mother," said she to
the old woman, "has anything happened to you? You have stayed
away so long."
"By no means, my dear daughter," answered she,
"I have met with nothing bad, but, on the contrary, with this
kind gentleman, who has carried my burden for me. Only think,
he even took me on his back when I was
tired. The way, too, has not seemed long to us. We have been
merry, and have been cracking jokes with each other all the
time."
At last the old woman slid down, took the bundle off the
young man's back, and the baskets from his arm, looked at him
quite kindly, and said, "Now seat yourself on the bench before
the door, and rest. You have fairly earned your wages, and they
will not be wanting." Then she said to the goose-girl, "Go
into the house, my dear daughter, it is not becoming for you
to be alone with a young gentleman. One must not pour oil on to
the fire, he might fall in love with you." The count knew not
whether to laugh or to cry. "Such a sweetheart as that," thought
he, "could not touch my heart, even if she were thirty years
younger."
In the meantime the old woman stroked
and fondled her geese as if they were children, and then went
into the house with her daughter. The youth lay down on the
bench, under a wild apple-tree. The air was warm and mild. On
all sides stretched a green meadow, which was set with cowslips,
wild thyme, and a thousand other flowers. Through the midst
of it rippled a clear brook on which the sun sparkled, and
the white geese went walking backwards and forwards, or paddled in
the water. "It is quite delightful here," said he, "but I am so
tired that I cannot keep my eyes open. I shall sleep a little.
If only a gust of wind does not come and blow my legs off my
body, for they are as rotten as tinder."
When he had slept a little while, the old woman came and shook
him till he awoke. "Sit up," said she, "you cannot stay here. I
have certainly treated you ill enough, still it has not cost you
your life. Of money and land you have no need, here is something
else for you." Thereupon she thrust a little box into his hand,
which was cut out of a single emerald. "Take great care of it,"
said she, "it will bring you good fortune." The count sprang up,
and as he felt that he was quite fresh, and had recovered his
vigour, he thanked the old woman for her present, and set off
without even once looking back at the beautiful daughter. When
he was already some way off, he still heard in the distance the
noisy cry of the geese.
on to part two