The Golden Goose

There was once a man who had three sons. The youngest was called Simpleton, and he was mocked, looked down upon and pushed aside at every turn.

One day the eldest son wanted to go into the forest to chop wood, and his mother gave him a fine sweet cake and a bottle of wine so that he would not go hungry or thirsty. In the forest he met a little grey old man who wished him good day and said, “Give me a piece of the cake from your pocket and a sip of your wine. I am so hungry and thirsty.” But the clever son answered, “If I give you my cake and wine, I’ll have none left for myself. Be off with you!” and went on his way. He had hardly begun to chop a tree when he made a false stroke and the axe cut into his arm, so that he had to go home and have it bandaged. That was the little grey man’s doing.

Then the second son went into the forest, and his mother gave him a sweet cake and a bottle of wine too. He also met the little grey man, refused him just as rudely, and soon after struck himself in the leg with his axe and had to be carried home.

Then Simpleton said, “Father, let me go out and cut wood.” His father replied, “Your brothers have hurt themselves. Leave it alone; you understand nothing about it.” But Simpleton begged for so long that his father finally said, “Go then. You’ll learn by getting hurt.” His mother gave him only a cake made with water and baked in the ashes, and a bottle of sour beer. When he came to the forest, the little grey man met him too and asked for something to eat and drink. Simpleton said, “I only have a cinder-cake and sour beer, but if that’s good enough for you, let’s sit down and eat together.” They sat down, and when Simpleton brought out his cake, it had become a fine sweet cake, and the sour beer was good wine.

When they had eaten and drunk, the little man said, “Because you have a good heart and gladly share what you have, I will give you good luck. Over there stands an old tree. Cut it down, and you will find something among its roots.” Simpleton cut down the tree, and there among the roots sat a goose with feathers of pure gold.

He tucked the goose under his arm and went to an inn to spend the night. The innkeeper had three daughters, who were curious about the wonderful bird and each wanted one of its golden feathers. When Simpleton stepped out, the eldest grabbed the goose by the wing, and her hand stuck fast. The second daughter came to take a feather too, but as soon as she touched her sister, she was stuck. The third came, and though the others cried out to keep away, she touched her sister and stuck fast as well. They had to spend the whole night beside the goose.

The next morning Simpleton took the goose under his arm and set off, not bothering in the least about the three girls clinging behind him. They had to run after him, left and right, wherever his legs carried him. In the middle of a field they met the parson, who scolded, “Shame on you, you shameless girls, running after a young man across the fields!” He grabbed the youngest by the hand to pull her away, and stuck fast himself. Soon the sexton came along and saw the parson trotting behind three girls. “Hey, Reverend, where are you off to so fast? Don’t forget we have a christening today!” He caught the parson’s sleeve and was stuck too. Then two farmhands with hoes came from the fields; the parson called to them to set him free, but the moment they touched the sexton they were stuck as well. Now there were seven of them running behind Simpleton and his goose.

They came to a city where the king had a daughter so serious that no one could make her laugh, and the king had announced that whoever made her laugh could marry her. Simpleton marched in front of the princess with his goose and the whole stuck-together procession behind him. When she saw seven people running after one another, she burst out laughing and could not stop.

Simpleton asked for her hand, but the king did not like this son-in-law and set new conditions. First, he must bring a man who could drink a whole cellar of wine. Simpleton went back to the forest and found a man sitting sadly where the old tree had stood, complaining of a thirst he could not quench. He drank the king’s cellar dry in a single day. Next the king demanded a man who could eat a whole mountain of bread; Simpleton found a starving man in the forest who ate it all in one day. Finally the king asked for a ship that could sail on land and water. The little grey man gave him that too, “because you were kind to me.” When the king saw the ship, he could no longer refuse. The wedding was held, and after the king’s death Simpleton inherited the kingdom and lived long and happily with his wife.