104 lines
5.5 KiB
Text
104 lines
5.5 KiB
Text
The Golden Goose
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There was a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was called
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Dummling, and was despised, mocked, and put down on every occasion.
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It happened that the eldest wanted to go into the forest to hew wood,
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and before he went his mother gave him a beautiful sweet cake and a
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bottle of wine in order that he might not suffer from hunger or thirst.
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When he entered the forest there met him a little grey-haired old man
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who bade him good-day, and said, "Do give me a piece of cake out of
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your pocket, and let me have a draught of your wine; I am so hungry and
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thirsty." But the prudent youth answered, "If I give you my cake and
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wine, I shall have none for myself; be off with you," and he left the
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little man standing and went on.
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But when he began to hew down a tree, it was not long before he made a
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false stroke, and the axe cut him in the arm, so that he had to go home
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and have it bound up. And this was the little grey man's doing.
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After this the second son went into the forest, and his mother gave
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him, like the eldest, a cake and a bottle of wine. The little old grey
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man met him likewise, and asked him for a piece of cake and a drink of
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wine. But the second son, too, said with much reason, "What I give you
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will be taken away from myself; be off!" and he left the little man
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standing and went on. His punishment, however, was not delayed; when he
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had made a few strokes at the tree he struck himself in the leg, so
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that he had to be carried home.
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Then Dummling said, "Father, do let me go and cut wood." The father
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answered, "Your brothers have hurt themselves with it, leave it alone,
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you do not understand anything about it." But Dummling begged so long
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that at last he said, "Just go then, you will get wiser by hurting
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yourself." His mother gave him a cake made with water and baked in the
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cinders, and with it a bottle of sour beer.
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When he came to the forest the little old grey man met him likewise,
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and greeting him, said, "Give me a piece of your cake and a drink out
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of your bottle; I am so hungry and thirsty." Dummling answered, "I have
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only cinder-cake and sour beer; if that pleases you, we will sit down
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and eat." So they sat down, and when Dummling pulled out his
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cinder-cake, it was a fine sweet cake, and the sour beer had become
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good wine. So they ate and drank, and after that the little man said,
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"Since you have a good heart, and are willing to divide what you have,
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I will give you good luck. There stands an old tree, cut it down, and
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you will find something at the roots." Then the little man took leave
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of him.
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Dummling went and cut down the tree, and when it fell there was a goose
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sitting in the roots with feathers of pure gold. He lifted her up, and
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taking her with him, went to an inn where he thought he would stay the
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night. Now the host had three daughters, who saw the goose and were
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curious to know what such a wonderful bird might be, and would have
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liked to have one of its golden feathers.
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The eldest thought, "I shall soon find an opportunity of pulling out a
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feather," and as soon as Dummling had gone out she seized the goose by
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the wing, but her finger and hand remained sticking fast to it.
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The second came soon afterwards, thinking only of how she might get a
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feather for herself, but she had scarcely touched her sister than she
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was held fast.
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At last the third also came with the like intent, and the others
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screamed out, "Keep away; for goodness' sake keep away!" But she did
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not understand why she was to keep away. "The others are there," she
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thought, "I may as well be there too," and ran to them; but as soon as
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she had touched her sister, she remained sticking fast to her. So they
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had to spend the night with the goose.
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The next morning Dummling took the goose under his arm and set out,
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without troubling himself about the three girls who were hanging on to
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it. They were obliged to run after him continually, now left, now
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right, just as he was inclined to go.
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In the middle of the fields the parson met them, and when he saw the
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procession he said, "For shame, you good-for-nothing girls, why are you
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running across the fields after this young man? is that seemly?" At the
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same time he seized the youngest by the hand in order to pull her away,
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but as soon as he touched her he likewise stuck fast, and was himself
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obliged to run behind.
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Before long the sexton came by and saw his master, the parson, running
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behind three girls. He was astonished at this and called out, "Hi, your
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reverence, whither away so quickly? do not forget that we have a
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christening to-day!" and running after him he took him by the sleeve,
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but was also held fast to it.
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Whilst the five were trotting thus one behind the other, two labourers
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came with their hoes from the fields; the parson called out to them and
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begged that they would set him and the sexton free. But they had
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scarcely touched the sexton when they were held fast, and now there
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were seven of them running behind Dummling and the goose.
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Soon afterwards he came to a city, where a king ruled who had a
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daughter who was so serious that no one could make her laugh. So he had
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put forth a decree that whosoever should be able to make her laugh
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should marry her. When Dummling heard this, he went with his goose and
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all her train before the King's daughter, and as soon as she saw the
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seven people running on and on, one behind the other, she began to
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laugh quite loudly, and as if she would never leave off. Thereupon
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Dummling asked to have her for his wife, and the wedding was
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celebrated. After the King's death, Dummling inherited the kingdom and
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lived a long time contentedly with his wife.
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