The Goose Girl
거위 치는 소녀
Brothers Grimm (Jacob, 1863; Wilhelm, 1859)
The Story
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A princess had to travel far away to marry a prince she had never met.Her mother gave her a magic horse named Falada, who could talk.A servant girl rode with her to help her on the long journey.
On the road, the servant became unkind and made the princess trade clothes with her.Then the servant took the princess’s horse and her place as the bride-to-be.The princess had to promise to say nothing, so she quietly became a goose girl instead.
At the castle, everyone believed the servant was the true princess.The real princess was sent to help a boy watch the king’s geese every day.Kind stable hands let Falada stay safe and warm, and the princess visited him in secret.
Every morning, she whispered softly to Falada, and he always answered with gentle words.Her hair was pure silver, and when the goose boy tried to touch it, she sang to the wind for help.
The wind always blew his hat far away, giving her time to hide her beautiful hair again.One day, the old king hid nearby and saw everything — the silver hair, and the sad words to Falada.That evening, he gently asked her to tell him the whole truth.
She was afraid, but she finally told him her real story from beginning to end.The old king dressed her in royal clothes again and told his son the truth.The true princess married the young prince, the dishonest servant was sent far away, and Falada lived happily with them forever.
Full translationTry the story first — open this only to check your understanding.
한 공주가 한 번도 만난 적 없는 왕자와 결혼하기 위해 멀리 떠나야 했어요. 공주의 어머니는 말을 할 수 있는 마법의 말, 팔라다를 딸에게 선물로 주었어요. 시녀 한 명이 긴 여행길에서 공주를 돕기 위해 함께 말을 타고 갔어요.
길을 가던 중, 시녀는 못되게 굴며 공주에게 옷을 바꿔 입자고 시켰어요. 그러고 나서 시녀는 공주의 말과 신부가 될 자리까지 빼앗았어요. 공주는 아무 말도 하지 않겠다고 약속해야 했고, 그래서 조용히 거위 치는 소녀가 되었어요.
성에서는 모두가 그 시녀를 진짜 공주라고 믿었어요. 진짜 공주는 매일 한 소년을 도와 왕의 거위들을 돌보러 보내졌어요. 마음씨 착한 마구간지기들이 팔라다를 안전하고 따뜻하게 지내게 해 주었고, 공주는 몰래 팔라다를 찾아갔어요.
매일 아침 그녀는 팔라다에게 조용히 속삭였고, 팔라다는 언제나 다정한 말로 대답해 주었어요. 그녀의 머리카락은 순은처럼 빛났는데, 거위 치는 소년이 그것을 만지려 하면 그녀는 바람에게 노래를 불러 도움을 청했어요.
바람은 언제나 소년의 모자를 멀리 날려 보내 주었고, 그동안 그녀는 아름다운 머리카락을 다시 숨길 수 있었어요. 어느 날, 늙은 왕이 근처에 숨어서 은빛 머리카락과 팔라다에게 하는 슬픈 말을 모두 지켜보았어요. 그날 저녁, 왕은 그녀에게 모든 진실을 말해 달라고 부드럽게 부탁했어요.
그녀는 두려웠지만, 마침내 처음부터 끝까지 자신의 진짜 이야기를 들려주었어요. 늙은 왕은 그녀에게 다시 왕족의 옷을 입혀 주었고, 아들에게 진실을 알렸어요. 진짜 공주는 젊은 왕자와 결혼했고, 정직하지 못한 시녀는 멀리 쫓겨났으며, 팔라다는 그들과 함께 영원히 행복하게 살았어요.
Original text
Now read the original
You just read an easy retelling. Here is the same passage exactly as the author wrote it — unabridged, split into short readings.
The complete story · 2,220 words · 5 short readings
Read the originalComprehension Check
1. Why did the princess become a goose girl?
2. How did the princess protect her silver hair from the goose boy?
3. How did the old king finally learn the truth?
Vocabulary
noun
servant
하인, 시종
A servant girl rode with her to help her on the long journey.
시녀 한 명이 긴 여행길에서 공주를 돕기 위해 함께 말을 타고 갔어요.
Your Summary
In 1–2 sentences, say how the old king finally learned who the goose girl really was.
Source: Adapted from the Brothers Grimm's tale "The Goose-Girl" ("Die Gänsemagd"), collected in Grimm's Household Tales (1812–1857; Project Gutenberg #2591, long in the public domain). This retelling softens the tale's ending for younger readers and is, along with its Korean translation, original text written for SeoJae Story.
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