Page:Christmas Fireside Stories.djvu/284

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Hans, who hade the Princess laugh. 272 v say, I rnight use it instead of a fish-hook," he said to the woman, and felt greatly plcaacd with the possession of the goose. He had not gone far before he tnet another old woman. When she saw the splendid golden goose, she must go and stroke it. She made herself ao friendly and spoke so nicely to Haas, and asked him to let her stroke that lovely golden goose of his. K Oh, yes ! " said Hans, u but you mus'n't pluck off any of its feathers ! " Just as she stroked the bird, Hans said : " If you'll come along, then hang on !" The woman pulled and tore, but she had to hang on, whether she would or no, and Hans walked on, as if he only had the goose with hi in. When he had gone some distance, he met a man who had a spite against the woman for a trick she had played upon him. When he that she fought so hard to get free and seemed to hang on so fast, he thought he might safely venture to pay her off for the grudge he owed her, and so he gave her a kick. " If you'll come along, then hang on ! " said Hans, and the man had to hang on and limp along on one leg, whether he would or no ; and when he tried to tear himself loose, he made it still worse for himself, for he was very nearly falling on his back whenever he struggled to get free. So on they went till they came in the neighbourhood of the palace. There they met the king's smith ; he was on his way to the smithy, and had a large pair of tongs in his hand. This Smith was a merry fellow, and was always full of mad pranks and tricks, and when he saw this procession coming jumping and limping along, he began laughing till he was bent in two, but suddenly he said : " This must be a new flock of geese for the princess ; but who can tell which is goose and which is gander ? I suppose it must be the gander toddling on in front. Goosey, goosey!" he called, and pretended to be strewing corn out of his hands as when fecding gcese. But they did not stop. The woman and the man oniy