• The Golden Goose

Chance

Once upon a time, there was a man with three sons. The youngest was called the Simpleton, and his brothers often mocked, ridiculed, and neglected him.

One day, the eldest son decided to go into the forest to chop wood. Before he left, his mother gave him a delicious cake and a flask of wine. As he entered the forest, he encountered a little old grey man who wished him a good day and said, "Give me a bit of your cake and let me have a drink of your wine; I am so hungry and thirsty."

But the eldest son replied, "Give you my cake and my wine? I haven't got any; be off with you." He left the old man standing there and went on his way. However, when he began chopping wood, he made a wrong stroke, and the axe struck his arm, forcing him to return home and bandage it. That was the consequence of his refusal.

Later, the second son decided to try his luck in the forest. Like the eldest, his mother gave him a cake and a flask of wine. He also encountered the little old grey man, who begged him for a bit of cake and a drink of wine. But the second son bluntly said, "What I give you, I lose myself, so be off with you." And, just like his brother, he left the old man behind. As punishment, while chopping wood, he struck his leg so severely that he had to be carried home.

Then the Simpleton said, "Father, let me go into the forest to chop wood." The father replied, "Your brothers have already hurt themselves; give it up, you know nothing about this work." But the Simpleton kept begging until his father finally relented, saying, "Very well, go ahead; you will only learn by experience."

The mother gave the Simpleton a simple cake made of flour and water, along with a flask of sour beer. When he entered the forest, the little old grey man met him and greeted him, saying, "Give me a bit of your cake and a drink from your flask; I am so hungry and thirsty."

The Simpleton replied, "I only have a plain flour-and-water cake and sour beer, but if that’s good enough for you, let’s sit down and eat together." So they sat down, and as the Simpleton took out his simple cake, it magically turned into a rich, delicious cake, and the sour beer became fine wine. They ate and drank together, and afterward, the old man said, "Because you have such a kind heart and willingly share what you have, I will bestow good fortune upon you. Over there stands an old tree; cut it down, and you will find something at its roots." With that, the old man departed.

The Simpleton went to the tree and began chopping. When the tree fell, he found a goose with feathers of pure gold nestled among the roots. Overjoyed, he lifted the goose and took it to an inn where he planned to stay the night.

The innkeeper had three daughters, who were curious about the golden goose. They longed to have one of its feathers. The eldest daughter thought, "I’ll wait for a chance and pluck a feather for myself." So, when the Simpleton wasn’t looking, she reached out to grab the goose's wing—but as soon as she touched it, her hand stuck fast.

Soon after, the second daughter had the same idea, but the moment she touched her sister, she too became stuck. Finally, the third daughter, despite her sisters' warnings, thought, "If they can do it, so can I," and went to pluck a feather. But as soon as she touched her sisters, she became stuck as well. And so, all three sisters had to stay there all night, unable to free themselves.

The next morning, the Simpleton took the goose under his arm and set off, unbothered by the three girls clinging to it. They had no choice but to follow him wherever he went. As they walked through the fields, they encountered the parson, who, upon seeing the strange procession, exclaimed, "Shame on you, girls, chasing after a young man like this!" He reached out to pull the youngest daughter away, but as soon as he touched her, he too became stuck and had to follow along.

Not long after, the bishop came by and, seeing the parson trailing behind the three girls, called out, "Your reverence, where are you going so quickly? Don’t you remember we have a christening today?" He grabbed the parson’s hand, and instantly, he too became stuck and was forced to follow the others. As the odd procession continued, they passed by two farmers, and the parson called out to them for help. But as soon as they touched the bishop, they also became stuck, making seven people in total trailing behind the Simpleton and his golden goose.

Eventually, they arrived at a town where a king ruled. This king had a daughter who was so serious that no one could make her laugh. The king had declared that whoever could make her laugh would win her hand in marriage.

When the Simpleton heard this, he led his strange parade of followers into the presence of the king’s daughter. As soon as she saw the seven people following the Simpleton, all stuck together in such a ridiculous manner, she burst into laughter and couldn’t stop.

Thus, the Simpleton won the right to marry the princess. The wedding was celebrated immediately, and when the king eventually passed away, the Simpleton inherited the kingdom. He ruled wisely and happily, living a long and contented life with his queen.

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