How the old woman managed it,
I know not; but the walls of the rooms were hung with silk and velvet,
embroidered chairs were there, and richly ornamented arm-chairs by
marble tables; crystal chandeliers hung down from the ceilings, and
mirrored themselves in the smooth pavement; green parrots were there in
gilt cages, and so were strange birds which sang most beautifully, and
there was on all sides as much magnificence as if a king were going to
live there. The sun was just setting when the girl awoke, and the
brightness of a thousand lights flashed in her face. She hurried to the
castle, and entered by the open door. The steps were spread with red
cloth, and the golden balustrade beset with flowering trees. When she
saw the splendour of the apartment, she stood as if turned to stone. Who knows how long she might have stood there if she had not remembered
the step-mother? “Alas!” she said to herself, “if she could but be
satisfied at last, and would give up making my life a misery to me.”
The girl went and told her that the castle was ready. “I will move into
it at once,” said she, and rose from her seat. When they entered the
castle, she was forced to hold her hand before her eyes, the brilliancy
of everything was so dazzling. “Thou seest,” said she to the girl, “how
easy it has been for thee to do this; I ought to have given thee
something harder.” She went through all the rooms, and examined every
corner to see if anything was wanting or defective; but she could
discover nothing. “Now we will go down below,” said she, looking at the
girl with malicious eyes. “The kitchen and the cellar still have to be
examined, and if thou hast forgotten anything thou shalt not escape thy
punishment.” But the fire was burning on the hearth, and the meat was
cooking in the pans, the tongs and shovel were leaning against the
wall, and the shining brazen utensils all arranged in sight. Nothing
was wanting, not even a coal-box and water-pail. “Which is the way to
the cellar?” she cried. “If that is not abundantly filled, it shall go
ill with thee.” She herself raised up the trap-door and descended; but
she had hardly made two steps before the heavy trap-door which was only
laid back, fell down. The girl heard a scream, lifted up the door very
quickly to go to her aid, but she had fallen down, and the girl found
her lying lifeless at the bottom. And now the magnificent castle belonged to the girl alone. She at first
did not know how to reconcile herself to her good fortune. Beautiful
dresses were hanging in the wardrobes, the chests were filled with gold
or silver, or with pearls and jewels, and she never felt a desire that
she was not able to gratify. And soon the fame of the beauty and riches
of the maiden went over all the world. Wooers presented themselves
daily, but none pleased her. At length the son of the King came and he
knew how to touch her heart, and she betrothed herself to him. In the
garden of the castle was a lime-tree, under which they were one day
sitting together, when he said to her, “I will go home and obtain my
father’s consent to our marriage. I entreat thee to wait for me here
under this lime-tree, I shall be back with thee in a few hours.” The
maiden kissed him on his left cheek, and said, “Keep true to me, and
never let any one else kiss thee on this cheek. I will wait here under
the lime-tree until thou returnest.”

The maid stayed beneath the lime-tree until sunset, but he did not
return. She sat three days from morning till evening, waiting for him,
but in vain. As he still was not there by the fourth day, she said,
“Some accident has assuredly befallen him. I will go out and seek him,
and will not come back until I have found him.” She packed up three of
her most beautiful dresses, one embroidered with bright stars, the
second with silver moons, the third with golden suns, tied up a handful
of jewels in her handkerchief, and set out. She inquired everywhere for
her betrothed, but no one had seen him; no one knew anything about him. Far and wide did she wander through the world, but she found him not. At last she hired herself to a farmer as a cow-herd, and buried her
dresses and jewels beneath a stone. And now she lived as a herdswoman, guarded her herd, and was very sad
and full of longing for her beloved one; she had a little calf which
she taught to know her, and fed it out of her own hand, and when she
said,

“Little calf, little calf, kneel by my side,
And do not forget thy shepherd-maid,
As the prince forgot his betrothed bride,
Who waited for him ’neath the lime-tree’s shade.”


the little calf knelt down, and she stroked it. And when she had lived for a couple of years alone and full of grief, a
report was spread over all the land that the King’s daughter was about
to celebrate her marriage. The road to the town passed through the
village where the maiden was living, and it came to pass that once when
the maiden was driving out her herd, her bridegroom travelled by. He
was sitting proudly on his horse, and never looked round, but when she
saw him she recognized her beloved, and it was just as if a sharp knife
had pierced her heart. “Alas!” said she, “I believed him true to me,
but he has forgotten me.”

Next day he again came along the road. When he was near her she said to
the little calf,

“Little calf, little calf, kneel by my side,
And do not forget thy shepherd-maid,
As the prince forgot his betrothed bride,
Who waited for him ’neath the lime-tree’s shade.”


When he was aware of the voice, he looked down and reined in his horse. He looked into the herd’s face, and then put his hands before his eyes
as if he were trying to remember something, but he soon rode onwards
and was out of sight. “Alas!” said she, “he no longer knows me,” and
her grief was ever greater. Soon after this a great festival three days long was to be held at the
King’s court, and the whole country was invited to it. “Now will I try my last chance,” thought the maiden, and when evening
came she went to the stone under which she had buried her treasures. She took out the dress with the golden suns, put it on, and adorned
herself with the jewels. She let down her hair, which she had concealed
under a handkerchief, and it fell down in long curls about her, and
thus she went into the town, and in the darkness was observed by no
one. When she entered the brightly-lighted hall, every one started back
in amazement, but no one knew who she was. The King’s son went to meet
her, but he did not recognize her. He led her out to dance, and was so
enchanted with her beauty, that he thought no more of the other bride. When the feast was over, she vanished in the crowd, and hastened before
daybreak to the village, where she once more put on her herd’s dress. Next evening she took out the dress with the silver moons, and put a
half-moon made of precious stones in her hair.