The Golden Goose

Once upon a time there was a man who had three sons. The youngest was called Dummling, and everyone looked down on him and made fun of him.

One day the eldest son wanted to go into the forest to chop wood. Before he left, his mother gave him a fine sweet cake and a bottle of wine so he wouldn't be hungry or thirsty.

When he entered the forest, he met a little gray-haired old man who greeted him and said, "Please give me a piece of 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. Go away!" And he left the old man standing there and went on.

Soon he began to chop down a tree, but he made a bad swing and cut his arm. He had to go home to have it bandaged. That was the little gray man's doing.

Then the second son went into the forest, and his mother gave him a cake and a bottle of wine too. The little old gray man met him as well and asked for a piece of cake and a drink. But the second son also said, "What I give you will be taken away from me. Go away!" And he left him. His punishment came quickly. He struck himself in the leg with the axe and had to be carried home.

Then Dummling said, "Father, let me go and chop wood." His father answered, "Your brothers have only hurt themselves. Stay here, you don't know anything about it." But Dummling begged so much that at last his father said, "Go then, you'll learn by hurting yourself." His mother gave him a cake made with water and baked in the ashes, and a bottle of sour beer.

When he came to the forest, the little old gray man met him too. He greeted him and said, "Give me a piece of your cake and a drink from your bottle. I am so hungry and thirsty." Dummling answered, "I only have ash-cake and sour beer.

If that's good enough for you, we can sit down and eat." So they sat down. When Dummling took out his ash-cake, it had become a fine sweet cake, and the sour beer had turned into good wine. They ate and drank.

Then the little man said, "Since you have a good heart and are willing to share, I will give you good luck. See that old tree? Cut it down, and you will find something at the roots." Then he left.

Dummling cut down the tree. When it fell, there sat a goose with feathers of pure gold. He lifted her up and took her with him to an inn where he wanted to spend the night. The innkeeper had three daughters. They saw the goose and were very curious. They wanted one of its golden feathers.

The eldest thought, "I'll find a chance to pull out a feather." As soon as Dummling had gone out, she grabbed the goose by the wing, but her finger and hand stuck fast.

Soon the second daughter came, wanting a feather for herself. As soon as she touched her sister, she too was stuck.

Then the third came with the same idea. The others shouted, "Stay away! For goodness sake, stay away!" But she didn't understand. "The others are there," she thought, "so I can go too." She ran to them and as soon as she touched her sister, she stuck fast. So they had to spend the night stuck to the goose.

The next morning, Dummling took the goose under his arm and set off, not bothering about the three girls hanging on. They had to run after him, left and right, wherever he went.

In the middle of the fields, they met the parson. When he saw this procession, he said, "Shame on you, you silly girls! Why are you running after this young man? That's not proper!" He grabbed the youngest by the hand to pull her away, but as soon as he touched her, he stuck fast and had to run behind.

Soon the sexton came by and saw his master, the parson, running behind three girls. He was amazed and called out, "Hey, your reverence, where are you going so fast? Don't forget we have a christening today!" He ran after him and took him by the sleeve, but he stuck too.

While the five were trotting along, two laborers came from the fields with their hoes. The parson called to them to set him and the sexton free. But as soon as they touched the sexton, they stuck fast. Now there were seven people running behind Dummling and the goose.

Soon afterwards, Dummling came to a city where a king ruled. The king had a daughter who was so serious that no one could make her laugh. The king had decreed that whoever could make her laugh could marry her.

When Dummling heard this, he went before the princess with his goose and all the people stuck to it. As soon as she saw the seven people running one behind the other, she began to laugh loudly and couldn't stop. Then Dummling asked to marry her, and the wedding was held.

After the king died, Dummling became king and lived happily with his wife for a long time.