Jul 23, 2010
The minister saw the odd procession and cried out at the three sisters, "Have you no shame, girls? Why are you running after the boy? It's just not right!" He tried to pull the youngest girl away. Suddenly, he felt that he was stuck in the crowd and had to follow the goose, like everybody else. The minister's wife saw her husband running along with the three girls. She cried out in amazement, "Dear husband, slow down! We have to be at a wedding in a few minutes!" She pulled on his sleeve to try and stop him. Then, she was caught in this silly parade too. They passed two farmers on a road. The minister's wife called for help, but as soon as they touched her, the farmers were pulled along, too! Samuel hurried into the next town, with the curious party of seven behind him. There a king lived with his only daughter. The princess was so serious that it was believed that she could not laugh. So the king sent out a proclamation. Whoever made the princess laugh would have her hand in marriage. When Samuel heard about the princess, he took his golden goose to her. At the sight of this silly group of people, the princess burst into laughter. The king thought she might not stop. Samuel asked the princess to marry him. But, before she could answer, the king stepped in. He did not want Samuel to marry his daughter, so he made up a list of conditions. "First," the king said, "bring me a man who can drink a whole cellarful of cider, then a man who can eat a mountain of bread." Samuel thought of the little man in the woods and rushed off. The old man was sitting in the same spot as before. "Oh, I'm so thirsty, and so very hungry," said the man to Samuel. "I cannot seem to drink enough cider or eat enought bread." Samuel quickly took the old man to see the king. The little man happily drank all the cider and ate all the bread in the king's cellar. Then Samuel approached the king and asked for his bride. But the kiing was ready with a third demand. "Now bring me a ship which sails on land as well as on sea." Again, Samuel went to see the little man. " I will share all my magic with you," said the old man, "because you have been so kind to me." Soon Samuel was back at the castel with a ship that sailed on land and sea. The king had no choice but to let Samuel marry the princess. The two were married that very day.