An old lord once lived in a rich castle near the sea. He lived very alone, and his castle always remained empty. Neither young voices nor cheerful laughter could be heard under its arches. For hours the old lord walked back and forth on the worn slabs of the stone floor, or sat at the window and looked at the gloomy sea.
He had a little granddaughter, but he had never seen her in his life. He disliked the child from the very day of her birth, because on that day her mother, the lord’s favorite daughter, died. The girl's father went far overseas to fight for his king, and she grew up alone, without parents. Things would have been really bad for the poor thing if it weren’t for her old nanny. She took Joan - that was the girl's name - to her place and fed her with leftovers from the master's table, and dressed her in various rags.
The old lord's entourage also treated the girl poorly - after all, their master did not love her! They insulted her and called her a ragamuffin.
Joan spent her days playing in the backyard of the castle or wandering alone along the seashore. Her only friend was a lame boy-gusherder. She often went to his field and chatted with him for a long time. The boy was a little older than her; he lived on a farm next to the castle.
Every morning he drove the geese out into the field and led them to the pond, where they swam, splashed and fished. At the same time, he played the pipe, and Joan always came running to listen to him. She loved listening to his strange melodies - sometimes sad, sometimes funny! They told her about beautiful forest fairies or about distant foreign countries, about unknown mountains and rivers, and then she forgot her sorrows and grievances.
And sometimes the music was so cheerful and light that she wanted to dance. And then even the lame gooseherd himself awkwardly danced along with her.
This is how the days passed in spring and summer. And in the winter, on long dark evenings, Joan would move the bench closer to the fire and ask her old nanny to tell her tales about brave knights and fair ladies, about giants and ogres, or about mermaids and fairies who fly invisibly in the air.
Year after year passed, and Joan finally turned from a girl into a lovely girl. But she was still friends with the lame goosedog, and the old lord still did not love her and did not want to see her.
And then one day the news spread that a king was coming to a neighboring town. Messengers were sent to all the surrounding castles with an invitation to the royal ball. And the king’s invitation, as you know, means an order! And the old lord ordered to prepare elegant clothes for himself, saddle a white horse, and also got ready for the royal ball.
At this time, Joan was sitting with her nanny at the window, she saw the old lord in elegant clothes and asked:
-Where is my grandfather going?
- To the neighboring city, to the king’s ball! - the nanny answered.
“Oh, how I wish I could go with him!” – Joan sighed. - Nanny, dear, go to him and ask him to take me with him!
- What are you, what are you! - The old lady was scared. “He’ll send me away, and it’s too late anyway.” Look, there he is already mounting his horse!
And indeed, while they were talking, the little groom brought a white horse into the courtyard, helped the old lord to mount it, and now only the dust from the hooves remained in the courtyard in front of the castle.
And Joan, as always, went to the field. She walked and dreamed how good it would be to go to this ball! At least with one eye she wanted to look at the beautiful, elegant ladies, at their majesties - the king and queen, and most of all at the young prince. She was so lost in her daydreams that she did not notice her friend the goose herder, who, along with the flock of geese, hobbled towards her. He stopped playing the pipe and asked:
“What are you thinking about, Joan?” Should I play you a funny song to make you want to dance? Or sad to cry?
“I already want to dance,” Joan answered, “but not here.” You know, I really want to go to the city for the king’s ball! But I wasn't invited...
“Since you want to get to the city,” said the young man, “you will get there!” And I am with you, and my gray geese. It's not that hard to get there, even for a lame person like me.
And they set off. And the long road seemed short to Joan, because the gooseherd was playing the pipe all the time.
He played so cheerfully and cheerfully that Joan was completely amused, and she herself sang along with him, and twirled and danced.
And when they were almost at the city itself, they suddenly heard the clatter of horse hooves behind them, and soon a tall, handsome young man on a black horse caught up with them.
- Are you going to the city? he asked. - Can I come with you?
- Why, of course, sir! - answered the goose-herder. – We are going to the city to see the noble guests who are coming to the royal ball. If you want, let's go together, it will be even more fun.
Then the young man jumped off his horse and walked next to Joan, and the lame gooseherd followed them and began to play a new, tender song. Suddenly the young man stopped, looked at Joan and asked:
- Do you know who I am?
“Of course not,” Joan answered. - Who?
“I’m a prince and I’m going to my father’s ball now.” Today I must choose a bride there - that’s what my father decided.
Joan suddenly felt sad for some reason. She did not answer the prince, and they walked in silence, and the gooseherd hobbled after them and still played his pipe.
“What a gentle and beautiful face she has,” the prince thought. “I’ve never met a girl cuter than her.”
He didn’t notice Joan’s torn dress or the fact that she was barefoot, but kept admiring her face and thin figure and easy gait.
– What’s your name? – he asked finally.
- Joan.
“Listen, Joan,” said the prince, “no girl has ever touched my heart as much as you!” Be my bride and marry me!
But Joan remained silent.
- Well, answer me, do you agree to become my bride and princess?
Then Joan smiled and said:
- Oh, no! You're just laughing at me. Am I fit to be a princess? Better hurry to the ball and choose your bride among the noble beauties!
“I’m speaking completely seriously,” the prince continued, “believe me!” But if you don’t want to become my bride, then maybe you’ll come to my ball? You know what: exactly at midnight I will be waiting for you along with your friend the goose herder, with his pipe and with these gray geese. Will you come?
Joan looked at the prince and said:
- Perhaps! Or maybe I won't come. Don't know!
The prince said nothing more, jumped on his horse and rode into the city.
Evening came, and more and more carriages stopped at the castle, where the king and queen met noble guests in the great hall. They came from even the most remote counties and possessions; no one wanted to miss such an important event: the crown prince, the only son of the king, was supposed to choose a bride that evening.
More than a few proud ladies hid their secret hopes and fears under easy chatter and carefree smiles.
But the ball had already begun long ago, one dance gave way to another, and the prince seemed to have not yet decided on anyone.
And then, finally, midnight struck. At the last stroke of the clock, some movement began at the end of the hall, exclamations of surprise were heard, the dancers parted, and a strange procession appeared before the king and queen: in front walked a barefoot girl in a frayed old dress, behind her was a lame gooseherd, and behind him were nine cackling geese.
This is how guests are at the royal ball!
At first all the courtiers fell silent in amazement, but soon they began to whisper and laugh loudly. However, they immediately fell silent again when they saw the prince come forward, take the barefoot girl by the hand and lead her to his parents, who were sitting on the throne.
“Father,” said the prince, “this is Joan!” If she agrees, I choose her as my wife. What do you say to this?
The king looked at Joan carefully and said:
“Well, my son, your choice is not bad.” If a girl is as kind and smart as she is pretty, she will be a worthy princess!
“The young lady is very beautiful, that’s true,” said the queen, “but what kind of dress is this?”
– Why is the young lady silent? - asked the king. -What does she think?
“Well, if you all agree,” said Joan, “so do I.” I agree to be the prince's bride!
And then, in the midst of complete silence, the gentle sounds of a shepherd’s pipe were suddenly heard. No one has ever heard such amazing and beautiful music in their life. The lame gooseherd played some strange and wondrous melodies, and - lo and behold! - Joan's frayed dress turned before everyone's eyes into luxurious white clothes strewn with sparkling diamonds, and nine geese - into little pages dressed all in blue. They picked up Joan's train and followed her as the prince led his bride to the other end of the hall to begin the dance. And the sounds of the shepherd's pipe were drowned in the cheerful music that boomed from the gallery.
The Prince and Joan, joyful and happy, began to dance.
And another heart beat joyfully to this cheerful music - it was the heart of the old lord. He saw his granddaughter Joan for the first time. Dressed in rich white robes, she looked so much like her late mother that the old lord could not take his eyes off her. He no longer thought about her with malice and hatred, but felt how love penetrated his heart, and rejoiced at it.
After the dance, Joan wanted to find her faithful friend the goose herder, but he disappeared somewhere. She sent servants to all corners of the country, but no one ever heard of him again. True, the villagers said that when they happen to return home very late, they sometimes hear, in the fields and in the forest, the gentle sounds of a pipe. But others insisted that the fairies were flirting with the belated traveler or were simply imagining things.
Whether Joan remembered the lame goosedog after her wedding or not, we cannot say, but she did not forget about the old nanny and took her in with her on the very first day after the wedding. So the old woman lived in the royal castle until the end of her days.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru