The Golden Goose
There was once a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was named Dummling, and on that account was despised and slighted, and put back on every occasion. It happened that the eldest wished to go into the forest to hew wood, and before he went his mother gave him a fine large pancake and a bottle of wine to take with him. Just as he got into the forest, he met a grey old man, who bade him good-day, and said, “Give me a piece of your pancake and a sip of your wine, for I am very hungry and thirsty.” The prudent youth, however, would not, saying, “If I should give you my cake and wine, I shall have nothing left for myself; no, pack off!” and he left the man there and went onwards. He now began to hew down a tree, but he had not made many strokes before he missed his aim, and the axe cut into his arm so deeply that he was forced to go home and have it bound up. But this wound came from the little old man.
Afterwards the second son went into the forest, and the mother gave him, as she had given the eldest, a pancake and a bottle of wine. The same little old man met him also, and requested a piece of his cake and a draught from his bottle. But he likewise refused, and said, “What I give to you I cannot have for myself; go, take yourself off!” and, so speaking, he left the old man there and went onwards. His reward, however, soon came, for when he had made two strokes at the tree he cut his own leg, so that he was obliged to return home.
Then Dummling asked his father to let him go and hew wood; but his father said. “No; your brothers have harmed themselves in so doing, and so will you, for you do not understand anything about it.” But Dummling begged and prayed so long that his father at length said, “Well then, go, and you will become prudent through experience.” His mother gave him only a cake which had been baked in the ashes, and a bottle of sour beer. As he entered the forest, the same grey old man greeted him, and asked, “Give me a piece of your cake and a draught out of your bottle, for I am hungry and thirsty.”
Dummling answered, “I have only a cake baked in the ashes and a bottle of sour beer, but, if they will suit you, let us sit down and eat.”
They sat down, and as soon as Dummling took out his cake, lo! it was changed into a nice pancake, and the sour beer had become wine. They ate and drank, and when they had done the little man said, “Because you have a good heart, and have willingly shared what you had, I will make you lucky. There stands an old tree, cut it down, and you will find something at the roots.” Thereupon the little man took leave.
Dummling went directly and cut down the tree, and, when it fell, there sat among the roots a goose which had feathers of pure gold. He took it up, and carried it with him to an inn where he intended to pass the night. The landlord had three daughters, who, as soon as they saw the goose, were very covetous of such a wonderful bird, even to have but one of its feathers. The eldest girl thought she would watch an opportunity to pluck out one, and just as Dummling was going out she caught hold of one of the wings, but her finger and thumb stuck there and she could not move. Soon after came the second, desiring also to pluck out a feather; but scarcely had she touched her sister when she was bound fast to her. At last the third came also, with like intention, and the others exclaimed, “Keep away, for heaven’s sake keep away!” But she did not see why she should, and thought, “The others are there, why should not I be too?” and, springing up to them, she touched her sister, and at once was made fast, so they had to pass the night with the goose.
The next morning Dummling took the goose under his arm and went out, without troubling himself about the three girls, who were still hanging on, and who were obliged to keep on the run behind him, now to the left and now to the right, just as he thought proper. In the middle of a field the Parson met them, and when he saw the procession he cried out, “For shame, you good-for-nothing wenches, what are you running after that young man across the fields for? Come, pray leave off that sport!” So saying, he took the youngest by the hand and tried to pull her away, but as soon as he touched her he also stuck fast, and was forced to follow in the train. Soon after came the Clerk, and saw his master the Parson following in the footsteps of the three maidens. The sight astonished him much, and he called, “Holloa, master! where are you going so quickly? have you forgotten that there is a christening to-day?” and he ran up to him and caught him by the gown. The Clerk also could not release himself, and so there tramped the five, one behind another, till they met two countrymen returning with their hatchets in their hands. The Parson called out to them, and begged them to come and release him and the Clerk; but no sooner had they touched the Clerk than they stuck fast to him, and so now there were seven all in a line following behind Dummling and the golden goose. By-and-by he came into a city, where a King ruled who had a daughter so seriously inclined that no one could make her laugh; so he had made a law that whoever should cause her to laugh should have her to wife.
Now, when Dummling heard this, he went with his goose and all his train before the Princess, and, as soon as she saw these seven poor creatures continually on the trot behind one another, she began to laugh so heartily as if she were never going to cease. Dummling thereupon demanded his bride; but his intended son-in-law did not please the King, who, after a variety of excuses, at last said he must bring him a man who could drink a cellarful of wine. Dummling bethought himself of the grey little man, who would, no doubt, be able to help him; and going into the forest, on the same spot where he had felled the tree, he saw a man sitting with a very melancholy countenance. Dummling asked him what he was taking to heart so sorely? and he answered, “I have such a great thirst and cannot quench it; for cold water I cannot bear, and a cask of wine I soon empty; for what good is such a drop as that to a hot stone?”
“There I can help you,” said Dummling; “come with me, and you shall be satisfied.”
He led him into the King’s cellar, and the man drank and drank away at the casks till his veins swelled; but before the day was out he had emptied all the wine-barrels. Dummling now demanded his bride again, but the King was vexed that such an ugly fellow, whom every one called Dummling, should take away his daughter, and he made a new condition that he must first find a man who could eat a whole mountain of bread. Dummling did not consider long, but set off into the forest, where, on the same spot as before, there sat a man, who was strapping his body round with a leather strap, and all the while making a horrible face, and saying, “I have eaten a whole ovenful of rolls; but what use is that, when one has such a hunger as I? My stomach remains empty still, and I must strap myself to prevent my dying of hunger!”
At these words Dummling was glad, and said, “Get up, and come with me, and you shall eat enough to satisfy you.”
He led him to the royal palace, where the King had collected all the meal in his whole kingdom, and had caused a huge mountain of bread to be baked with it. The man out of the wood, standing before it, began to eat, and in the course of the day the whole mountain had vanished.
Dummling then, for the third time, demanded his bride, but the King began again to make fresh excuses, and desired a ship which could travel both on land and water.
“So soon as you return blessed with that,” said the King, “you shall have my daughter for your bride.”
Dummling went, as before, straight into the forest, and there he found the little old grey man to whom he had given his cake. When Dummling had said what he wanted, the old man gave him the vessel which could travel both on land and water, with these words, “Since I have eaten and drunk with you, I give you the ship, and all this I do because you were good-natured.”
As soon now as the King saw the ship he could not any longer keep back his daughter, and the wedding was celebrated, and, after the King’s death, Dummling inherited the kingdom, and lived for a long time contentedly with his bride.
