familiar, as my scholarship does not extend beyond the letter
G
. Still, 'tis not every Goose Girl who knows her
E
's from her
B
's, I can tell you that!
I restored the book to the Prince's saddlebags after conquering a brief and ignoble impulse to hide it amongst my own things. Tis a matter of wonder to me that the Prince should own this erudite object, for surely such a one as he could not comprehend it, could he?
The saddlebags I modified so that they could be slung round the shoulders of a human, rather than attached to the rear of a saddle, for we would be our own steeds on this journey.
Lamentably, the saddlebags did not contain that which I most coveted: a knife. How I did long for a sweet little blade, bright as the sun and as sharp as pain! Mayhap the Prince's was lost in the struggle (I looked most carefully round and about on the ground), or mayhap Lucinda had simply taken charge of it and any sword there might have been, as she did all cutting tools. I could not believe that even the Prince would have set forth into the wilderness armed only with his wits, such as they were.
I had found the twelfth white feather under the usual pebble in the usual place, next to the egg, and that had given me hope that I would catch sight of my birds as I made my preparations. All that day I had been scanning the sky and the underbrush, calling out their names one by one, my hopes slowly dwindling as the hours went by. My trip to the top of the hill had been a last, forlorn attempt to call them to me before returning to the cottage. Later it would be too late. 'Twas risky even now; the Ogresses would be stirring soon and preparing to go out for the night. His Highness and I would leave under cover of darkness while
my Geese slept, and the need for secrecy and silence would seal our lips.
The fire glowed red in the dimly lit cottage as I let myself in through the tumbledown door. Nothing moved, not even the Prince. Anxiously I studied his form for a sign that he still lived, that the Ogresses had not slain him in my absence. Yes, his breast moved gently; he merely slept. That was as it should be. He would need the rest if he was to attempt a long journey tonight. I only wished I could have done the same.
Briskly I began preparing the usual cattail roots, along with a hot nettle drink. Once the cattails were well boiled and mashed, I approached the Prince, thinking to stir him up for his evening meal. I had intended to touch him lightly on the shoulder to rouse him; 'twould be a dreadful enough awakening without my adding to the horror. But my eye caught the gleam of firelight reflecting off a slitted eyeball over in a dark corner. 'Twas one of Tessa's heads watching me while the other slept. She was as suspicious as ever and waiting for me to show the slightest weakness.
I drew back my foot and kicked the Prince in the stomach, hard enough to make an audible thump. He groaned and jerked in pain.
"Your dinner, my lord," I said demurely. I pushed him into a sitting position and prepared to feed him.
"What have I ever done to you, Goose Girl," demanded the Prince between gritted teeth, "that you should serve me in this manner?"
This question was too much for me to resist. I bent forward and breathed in his ear. "Only locked me up in a tower for six months, that is all, my lord."
"Butâ" He began on a high note of outrage, then was silenced when I inserted the dipper of cattail mush into his mouth.
In a louder voice I said, "I am hungry, and weary of boiled roots, sire."
"You are a perfectly dreadful young woman," he observed bleakly.
I shrugged and pushed the ladle back into his mouth. My point had been made and I saw no need for further playacting.
"Enough!" Tessa rose from her dark corner, and her sisters stirred. "Don't give it all to him. I do be hungry."
"Aye. I be hungersome too," said Nellie, yawning and stretching.
"I be absolutely
famished
," said Lucinda, propping herself up on one elbow and staring
G
. Still, 'tis not every Goose Girl who knows her
E
's from her
B
's, I can tell you that!
I restored the book to the Prince's saddlebags after conquering a brief and ignoble impulse to hide it amongst my own things. Tis a matter of wonder to me that the Prince should own this erudite object, for surely such a one as he could not comprehend it, could he?
The saddlebags I modified so that they could be slung round the shoulders of a human, rather than attached to the rear of a saddle, for we would be our own steeds on this journey.
Lamentably, the saddlebags did not contain that which I most coveted: a knife. How I did long for a sweet little blade, bright as the sun and as sharp as pain! Mayhap the Prince's was lost in the struggle (I looked most carefully round and about on the ground), or mayhap Lucinda had simply taken charge of it and any sword there might have been, as she did all cutting tools. I could not believe that even the Prince would have set forth into the wilderness armed only with his wits, such as they were.
I had found the twelfth white feather under the usual pebble in the usual place, next to the egg, and that had given me hope that I would catch sight of my birds as I made my preparations. All that day I had been scanning the sky and the underbrush, calling out their names one by one, my hopes slowly dwindling as the hours went by. My trip to the top of the hill had been a last, forlorn attempt to call them to me before returning to the cottage. Later it would be too late. 'Twas risky even now; the Ogresses would be stirring soon and preparing to go out for the night. His Highness and I would leave under cover of darkness while
my Geese slept, and the need for secrecy and silence would seal our lips.
The fire glowed red in the dimly lit cottage as I let myself in through the tumbledown door. Nothing moved, not even the Prince. Anxiously I studied his form for a sign that he still lived, that the Ogresses had not slain him in my absence. Yes, his breast moved gently; he merely slept. That was as it should be. He would need the rest if he was to attempt a long journey tonight. I only wished I could have done the same.
Briskly I began preparing the usual cattail roots, along with a hot nettle drink. Once the cattails were well boiled and mashed, I approached the Prince, thinking to stir him up for his evening meal. I had intended to touch him lightly on the shoulder to rouse him; 'twould be a dreadful enough awakening without my adding to the horror. But my eye caught the gleam of firelight reflecting off a slitted eyeball over in a dark corner. 'Twas one of Tessa's heads watching me while the other slept. She was as suspicious as ever and waiting for me to show the slightest weakness.
I drew back my foot and kicked the Prince in the stomach, hard enough to make an audible thump. He groaned and jerked in pain.
"Your dinner, my lord," I said demurely. I pushed him into a sitting position and prepared to feed him.
"What have I ever done to you, Goose Girl," demanded the Prince between gritted teeth, "that you should serve me in this manner?"
This question was too much for me to resist. I bent forward and breathed in his ear. "Only locked me up in a tower for six months, that is all, my lord."
"Butâ" He began on a high note of outrage, then was silenced when I inserted the dipper of cattail mush into his mouth.
In a louder voice I said, "I am hungry, and weary of boiled roots, sire."
"You are a perfectly dreadful young woman," he observed bleakly.
I shrugged and pushed the ladle back into his mouth. My point had been made and I saw no need for further playacting.
"Enough!" Tessa rose from her dark corner, and her sisters stirred. "Don't give it all to him. I do be hungry."
"Aye. I be hungersome too," said Nellie, yawning and stretching.
"I be absolutely
famished
," said Lucinda, propping herself up on one elbow and staring
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