s rag: it may be of use to you on the journey."

So they took a sad farewell of each other, and the Princess stuck the
rag in front of her dress, mounted her horse, and set forth on the
journey to her bridegroom's kingdom. After they had ridden for about
an hour the Princess began to feel very thirsty, and said to her
waiting-maid: "Pray get down and fetch me some water in my golden cup
out of yonder stream: I would like a drink." "If you're thirsty," said
the maid, "dismount yourself, and lie down by the water and drink; I
don't mean to be your servant any longer." The Princess was so thirsty
that she got down, bent over the stream, and drank, for she wasn't
allowed to drink out of the golden goblet. As she drank she murmured:
"Oh! heaven, what am I to do?" and the three drops of blood replied:

"If your mother only knew,
Her heart would surely break in two."

But the Princess was meek, and said nothing about her maid's rude
behavior, and quietly mounted her horse again. They rode on their
way for several miles, but the day was hot, and the sun's rays smote
fiercely on them, so that the Princess was soon overcome by thirst
again. And as they passed a brook she called once more to her
waiting-maid: "Pray get down and give me a drink from my golden
cup," for she had long ago forgotten her maid's rude words. But the
waiting-maid replied, more haughtily even than before: "If you want a
drink, you can dismount and get it; I don't mean to be your servant."
Then the Princess was compelled by her thirst to get down, and bending
over the flowing water she cried and said: "Oh! heaven, what am I to
do?" and the three drops of blood replied:

"If your mother only knew,
Her heart would surely break in two."

And as she drank thus, and leaned right over the water, the rag
containing the three drops of blood fell from her bosom and floated down
the stream, and she in her anxiety never even noticed her loss. But the
waiting-maid had observed it with delight, as she knew it gave her power
over the bride, for in losing the drops of blood the Princess had become
weak and powerless. When she wished to get on her horse Falada again,
the waiting-maid called out: "I mean to ride Falada: you must mount
my beast"; and this too she had to submit to. Then the waiting-maid
commanded her harshly to take off her royal robes, and to put on her
common ones, and finally she made her swear by heaven not to say a word
about the matter when