No sooner had they done this than the Princess was changed into a beautiful golden bird, and flew away over hill and over valley. Then the goose-herd's daughter clad herself in the ram's hide, and sat down in the Princess's place.
"The Gooseherd & her Daughter meet the Princess at the Roadside"
"Yes, my pretty little bird," said the old goose-herd, "thou wilt make a fine Princess!" But, prut! she was no more like a Princess than I am, for she was squat, and round-shouldered, and had hair of the color of tow.
Then the old goose-herd drove her geese away, and the goose-girl waited for the coming of the Prince.
Sure enough, after a while the Prince came with a fine dress, all of real silver and gold; but when he saw the goose-girl he beat his head with his knuckles, for he thought that it was the Princess, and that she was enchanted again.
Why did he not look through the ring of his magic key?
Perhaps for this, perhaps for that—one cannot be always wise.