Just as she stroked the goose, he said—
"Hang on, if you care to come with us!"
The goody pulled and tore, but she was forced to hang on, whether she would or no, and Taper Tom went before, as though he alone were with the golden goose. So when he had gone a bit farther, he met a man who had a thorn in his side against the goody for a trick she had played him. So when he saw how hard she struggled and strove to get free, and how fast she stuck, he thought he would be quite safe in giving her one for her nob, to pay off the old grudge, and so he just gave her a kick with his foot.
"Hang on, if you care to come with us!" called out Tom, and then the man had to limp along on one leg, whether he would or no, and when he jibbed and jibed, and tried to break loose, it was still worse for him, for he was all but falling flat on his back every step he took.
So they went on a good bit till they had about come to the king's grange. There they met the king's smith, who was going to the smithy, and had a great pair of tongs in his hand. Now you must know this smith was a merry fellow, who was as full of tricks and pranks as an egg is full of meat, and when he saw this string come hobbling and limping along, he laughed so that he was almost bent in two, and then he bawled out, "Surely this is a new flock of geese the princess is going to have; who can tell which is goose and which gander? Ah! I see, this must be the gander that toddles in front. Goosey! goosey! goosey!" he called out; and with that he coaxed them to him,
