Once upon a time there was an old woman who lived with a flock of geese in a wilderness between the mountains, surrounded by a large forest. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 infoEvery morning, the old woman had to walk tremblingly to the forest on crutches, where she was so busy that no one could believe that she could do so much at such an age: she had to gather grass for her geese, pick wild fruits with her hands, and carry all these things home. Others must have thought that something so heavy would crush her to the ground, but she was always able to carry it all back. If she met someone, she would greet him very kindly: "Hello, dear fellow, the weather is really nice today." Yes, you will be surprised to see me dragging so much grass, but everyone has to carry his own burden. "Still, people would rather take a detour than meet her. If a father passes by with his son, he will whisper to him, "Watch out for this old woman, she is a very cunning witch. ”

One morning, a handsome teenager was walking in the woods. In the early morning forest, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the cool breeze is gently blowing the leaves, and the young man is in a very comfortable mood at this time. At that moment, he suddenly saw the old woman, who was kneeling on the ground and cutting the grass with a sickle. She had cut a large bundle of grass, and beside her lay two baskets full of wild pears and apples. "Hey, old lady," said the boy, "how can you carry so many things by yourself?" "I can't move it, my dear sir," she replied, "and the young master of a rich family doesn't have to do this. But as the saying goes, 'Don't look around, your back is like a bow.'" ’”

"Would you like to help me?" When the old woman saw that the boy was still standing and had not left, she asked, "Your back is still straight, and your legs and feet are still very neat, so it is not difficult to do this." Besides, my house is not too far from here, in the wilderness behind this mountain, and it will be a short walk away. Then the boy was full of sympathy for the old woman, and said, "Although my father was not a peasant but a wealthy earl, I would like to help you carry these things back to show you that it is not only peasants who can do heavy work." "If that's the case, then I'm so happy," she said, "and you have to walk for an hour, but what does that mean to you?" By the way, you'll have to carry the pears and apples over there. The young Earl became a little hesitant when he heard that he was going to walk for an hour. But the old woman did not spare him, but immediately put the bale on his back, and carried two baskets on his wrists. "Look, isn't that easy?" She said. "No, it's not easy." The little count said with a sad face, "These bales of straw are very heavy on their backs, as if they were full of large stones. The apples and pears were as heavy as lead, and I was almost out of breath. "He wanted to put everything down, but the old woman wouldn't let him do it." "Lo and behold," she said mockingly, "you young gentleman can't even carry the things that an old woman like me often carry. You're pretty good at talking, but when you really want to do it, you want to run away, why are you still standing there? She continued, "Let's go, raise your legs!" No one will carry it for you. "As long as they walk on a flat road, the young man can withstand it, but when they come to the front of the mountain and have to climb up, and the stones under their feet roll down as if they were alive, he can't bear it. I saw that he not only had beads of sweat on his forehead, but also sweat on his body, which made him feel cold for a while and hot for a while. "Old woman," he said, "I can't do it anymore, I want to rest." "No!" The old woman replied, "You can rest only when we are here, and now you have to go on." Who knows what your idea is? "Old woman, you are so unreasonable!" As he spoke, the little count tried to lay down the bale on his back, but he did so in vain, for the burden hung firmly on his back as if it had grown on him. He was so anxious that he turned around and turned around, but he couldn't get rid of it. Seeing this, the old woman laughed with joy, and jumped about there with her crutches. "Don't be angry, dear sir," she said, "your face is as red as a turkey. Be patient and carry your baggage, and I'll give you a lot of money when I get home. The little earl had no choice but to accept his fate, and patiently walked slowly behind the old woman. The old woman seemed to be getting more and more vigorous, and his load was getting heavier and heavier. Suddenly, she jumped up and sat down on the bale of straw. Although she was skinny, she was heavier than the fattest country girl. The young man's knees trembled, but if he did not go forward, the old woman would beat him on the legs with branches and twinesticks. He climbed up the hill in such a way that he was in a huff, and at last he reached the old woman's house, and he was so tired that he almost collapsed. As soon as the geese saw the old woman, they cocked up their wings, stretched their necks and ran towards her. A woman with a twig in her hand followed the geese.

She was tall and strong, and ugly as a dominatrix. "Mother," she said to the old woman, "what's the matter, why did you come back?" "Nothing, my daughter," replied the old woman, "I have not met anything bad, on the contrary, the kind gentleman has helped me carry my things back." When I was tired of walking, he carried me on his back. It's not a long way for us, and we've had a lot of fun along the way. At last the old woman came and took the bale from the young man's back, took the basket from his wrist, looked at him very kindly, and said, "Now sit down on the bench at the door and rest well." I won't lose your share of the reward you deserve. Then she said to the goose girl, "My daughter, go into the house, for you are not fit to be alone with a young gentleman." We shouldn't add fuel to the fire, or he'll fall in love with you. The Earl couldn't help but laugh when he heard this, and thought to himself, "Such a living treasure, even if she is thirty years younger, will not touch my heart." Then the old woman was seen stroking her geese as if they were her own children, and then went into the house with her daughter. So the boy lay down on a bench under the wild apple tree. The mountain air is fresh and pleasant, surrounded by a large green meadow full of primroses, wild musk and flowers of all kinds; A clear stream flows through the meadows, and the water is sparkling and scaly; Those white geese, some walk in the water, and some play in the water. "It's so beautiful here!" "But I'm so tired that I can't lift my eyelids, and I'll have to sleep for a while." But don't get the wind, because the wind will blow away my soft velvet legs. ”

Not long after he fell asleep, the old woman came and woke him up and said, "Get up, you can't stay here." Yes, I've worn you out, but aren't you still alive and well? I'll give you what you deserve now. You don't need gold or silver, I'll give you something else. So saying, she placed a small, delicate box carved from a single emerald into his hand. Then he continued, "Take good care of it, and it will bring you happiness." As soon as the Count heard that he could go, he leaped for joy, and by this time the others were awake and in good spirits, so he thanked the old woman and walked down the hill without looking back, and behind him came the cheerful cries of a flock of geese.

The little count wandered around the wilderness for three days before he found his way out. Then he came to a strange place, and because no one knew him there, they took him to the palace. When they came to the palace, they saw the king and his queen sitting on a high throne. So he got down on one knee, took the emerald box out of his pocket, and presented it to the queen. The queen fainted before she could open the box, and the king's guards arrested the boy and sent him to his cell. Then the queen opened her eyes and ordered the guards to let him go, and then she told everyone to stand down, for she was to speak alone with the little count.

When they had retreated, the queen wept bitterly: "I have enjoyed endless glory and wealth, but what is the use? My life is full of sorrow and pain. I had three daughters, the youngest of whom was the most beautiful, and everyone said that she was as beautiful as a fairy: her skin was as white as snow, her face was as delicate as a flower, and her blond hair was as bright as the sun; When she cried, the tears that flowed from her eyes were beautiful pearls and gemstones. When she was fifteen years old, the king summoned all three of his daughters to him, and you can never imagine how amazed the ministers present were when she walked in as radiant as the rising sun! Then the king asked them, "Little children, I do not know when I will leave you, so I will decide today what each of you will receive after my death." All three of you love me, but the one who loves me the most deserves the best.

All three daughters said they loved him the most. Then the king asked, 'Can you tell me how you love me?' Then I will know if you really love me. So the eldest daughter said, 'I love my father as I love the sweetest desserts.' Then the second daughter said, 'I love my father as much as I love my most beautiful clothes.' But the youngest daughter was silent, and the king asked her: 'How do you love me, my dearest child?' ''I don't know,' she replied, 'there is nothing like my love for you.'' But the king insisted that she say, and at last she said, 'You know, without salt, I don't like the best delicacies.' So, I love my father as much as I love salt. When the king heard this, he was very angry and said, 'Since you love me as you love salt, I will repay your love for me with salt.' So he divided his kingdom among his two eldest daughters, but he had his attendants tie a sack of salt to the younger and ordered them to throw her into a great deserted forest. We all interceded on her behalf, but the king did not change his mind. The queen wept and continued: "How sad it was for her little daughter to cry when she had to leave us! Her pearl tears were sprinkled all over the road. Not long after, the king, remorseful for having punished his little daughter so severely, sent into the forest to look for the poor child, but found no sign of her in the whole forest. Then I was so sad that I could not help myself at the thought that she might be eaten by wild beasts. Sometimes I consoled myself that maybe she was still alive, that she was either hiding in some cave, or that she had been adopted by some kind person. But how excited I was when I saw the little emerald box you gave me, and saw a pearl inlaid with it, and its shape was exactly the same as the pearl tears that fell out of my daughter's eyes! You have to tell me how you got this pearl. So the little count told her that he had obtained it from an old woman who lived in the great forest. When the king and queen heard this, they decided to go after the old woman, for they thought she must know the whereabouts of the little princess.

But it was said that the old woman was sitting at the spinning wheel at home spinning and weaving, and it was already dark, and a piece of charcoal burning in the stove at her feet gave a faint light. At this moment, there was a sudden rattling sound from a distance, and it turned out that her flock of geese had returned from the meadow, and after a while, her daughter had also returned. But the old woman didn't pay much attention to her, but only nodded to her. So the daughter sat down beside her, took the spindle from her hand, and spun the thread with the dexterity of a young girl. They worked in silence for two hours, and no one said a word. At that moment, they heard something screaming outside the window, and saw two eyes flickering in. It turned out to be an old owl cooing. So the old woman looked up at the sky, and said:

"It's time, daughter, go about your business."

So the girl went out. Where the hell is she going? She walked through the meadow and onwards into the valley, until she came to the well beside the three old oak trees. At this time, the round moon had quietly climbed to the top of the mountain, and the bright moonlight shone in the valley, and everything was so bright that it seemed that a needle could be found even if it fell to the ground. I saw that she took off the skin of her face, lowered her head and washed it by the well. After washing her face, she soaked the dough in water and then spread it on the grass to dry. But you can't imagine what this moonlit girl looks like! I saw her gray false braid fall off, and her blonde hair fell over her shoulders like the sun, as if covering her entire body like a coat. Her eyes were as clear as the stars in the night sky, and her delicate cheeks were like the blooming flowers.

But the beautiful maiden was very sad, and she sat down on the ground, and began to weep bitterly, and tears fell down one by one to her scattered hair. She sat like this for a long time, when suddenly, there was a rustling sound in the nearby woods, and she jumped up from the ground like a fawn hearing the sound of a hunter's gun. Then the moon was obscured by a nebula, and in the blink of an eye, the girl put on her skin and wig again, and vanished into the woods like a lamp blown out by the wind.

The girl trembled like a poplar leaf and ran home. The old woman was standing by the door, and the girl tried to tell her what had happened, but she smiled and said, "I already know everything." "The old woman took the girl into the house, and added a piece of wood to the stove, but instead of sitting down at the spinning wheel, she took a broom and began to clean the house." Everything has to be clean. She said to the girl. But, mother," said the girl, "why did you start so late?" What's wrong with you? "Do you know what time it is?" The old woman asked. "It's not yet midnight," replied the girl, "but it's eleven o'clock." "Don't you remember? You came to me three years ago today! The old woman continued, "You've been with me long enough, you can't stay here any longer. The girl was taken aback and asked, "Alas, dear mother, do you want to drive me away?" Where do you tell me to go? I have no friends and no home, so where can I go? I've done everything you asked me to do, and you're very happy with me, so don't drive me away! The old woman would not tell her the real reason, but said, "I will not stay here any longer, but when I move out, I will clean this place, so do not hinder me from my work, and you will not worry, you will find a place to live." And you'll be happy with the reward I'm going to give you. "But tell me, what will happen?" The girl continued. "I say it again, don't get in the way of my work. Don't ask any more, go back to your room, take the skin off your face, put on the silk garment you wore when you first came to me, and stay in your room until I call you out. ”

But it was said that the king, the queen, and the little earl, had gone out of the palace to go out into the wilderness to find the old woman. During the night, the little count fell behind in the forest, and had to continue walking alone. The next day, he found the way up the mountain, and kept hurrying forward until it was dark, when he climbed to a tree where he was going to spend the night. When the moon came out, he saw a figure coming down from the mountain, and although he did not have a whip in his hand, he recognized at a glance that this man was the goose girl. "Ah," he almost cried out, "it's her, I just escaped from the clutches of one witch, and now I'm going to fall into the clutches of another?" But when he saw the goose girl go to the well and take off the skin, with her long golden hair hanging over her shoulders, he was astonished, for he had never seen a girl so beautiful in his life. He didn't dare to come out, but he tried his best to stretch his neck and stare intently at this beautiful girl. Maybe it was because his body was leaning too forward, or for some other reason, there was a 'click' and a branch suddenly snapped. At that moment, the girl quickly put on her skin and wig, jumped up like a fawn, and disappeared under his nose the moment the moon was obscured by dark clouds.

As soon as she fled, he leaped down from the tree and followed her closely. Soon he saw two figures in the night walking through the meadow, and it turned out to be the king and queen. They saw the light in the old woman's house from afar, and walked towards it. Then the Count came up to them and told them what he had seen at the well, and they soon confirmed that it must be their long-missing daughter. So they walked on in high spirits, and soon came to the bright hut. I saw the geese squatting in a circle, their heads all in their wings, sleeping. The three of them looked out the window, and saw the old woman sitting alone in the room spinning, and nodded again, but did not look back. The house was cleaned, as if it were all inhabited by little mist people who didn't have dust on their feet. They looked at it for a while, but they didn't see the girl. So they mustered up their courage and knocked lightly on the window.

At this time, the old woman, who seemed to have been waiting for them, stood up and said very kindly, "Just come in, I already knew you were coming." So they went in, and the old woman said, "If you had not driven your kind and lovely children out of your house three years ago, you would not have had to go so far today." But it doesn't do her any harm to her that she's here, for for three years she's only been herding geese, so her little heart hasn't been hurt in any way, but you've been living in anxiety and getting the punishment you deserve. Then she went to another door and cried out, "Come out, my daughter." Then the door opened, and out came a beautiful girl in a robe. I saw that her blonde hair was scattered over her shoulders, and her eyes were shining, just like a fairy who had descended to earth.

She walked towards her parents, put her arms around them and kissed them incessantly, and everyone cried with joy. Then the girl saw the young Earl standing beside them, her face like a rose blooming in the field. Then the king said, "My dear child, my kingdom has been given to your two sisters, what shall I give to you?" "She needs nothing," said the old woman, "and I will give her back the tears she shed for you, which are all treasures more beautiful than pearls plucked out of the sea, and more precious than your whole kingdom." Also, I will leave this cottage to her as a reward for her herding geese here. As soon as she finished speaking, the old woman disappeared before them. Then they heard the walls rattling around them, and when they turned their heads, they saw that the cottage had been transformed into a splendid palace, and that the imperial table had been set up, and that many servants were busy serving!

The story is not over here, but my grandmother, who told me the story, can't remember the rest of the story. But I always thought that the beautiful princess must have married the earl, and that they must have lived in that palace and lived happily ever after. I do not know whether the little white geese that had been kept in front of the hut were the maidens who had been adopted by the old lady, whether they had now regained their human form and remained with the young queen as maids-in-waiting, but I think it must have been. But one thing is certain, that is, the old lady is not the old witch as people say, but a good-hearted sorceress, and the person who made the princess cry not tears, but pearls, is probably this old lady. (To be continued.) If you like this work, you are welcome to come to the starting point (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation, monthly pass, your support, is my biggest motivation. (To be continued.) )