ðə ɡˈuːshɜːd, dᵻspˈaɪt hɪz ʌnjˈuːʒuːəl plˈeɪs ɪnðɪ ˈoʊpənɪŋ ʌvðə tˈeɪlz, ˈækts ðə fˈʌŋkʃən ʌvðə dˈoʊnɚ fˈɪɡjɚ kˈɑːmənli fˈaʊnd ɪn fˈɛɹi tˈeɪlz.
The gooseherd, despite his unusual place in the opening of the tales, acts the function of the donor figure commonly found in fairy tales.