Chapter 9 The Golden Goose Once there lived a man who had three sons.
The youngest was called Simple Simon.
The family was ashamed of him because he wasn't very bright.
One day, the eldest son went, with a packed lunch, into the forest to chop wood.
When he got there, he met a little old gray man.
Good day, the old man said to the eldest son.
I am very hungry and thirsty.
Would you mind sharing your lunch with me?
The son said, I have a lot of hard work ahead of me.
If I share my lunch with you, there will not be any left for me.
He walked away and left the little old gray man standing on the path.
Later, when the son started to chop the wood, his axe missed the tree and badly cut his arm.
The little old gray man had made this happen.
The next day, the middle son decided he would go into the forest to chop some wood.
His mother packed him a tasty meal.
He too met the little old gray man.
The old man asked if the middle son would share his food and drink with him.
The young man said, I have a very long, hard day of chopping down trees ahead of me.
Whatever I give you, I will not have for myself.
Once more, the little old gray man was left standing by himself on the path.
And once more, he caused some trouble.
The middle son struck himself in the leg with the axe and hurt himself.
Simple.
Simon, the youngest son, said to his father Let me go to the forest for the wood while my brothers recover.
No, you'd better leave it alone or you'll get hurt too.
You don't know the first thing about using an axe.
But Simple Simon begged his father to let him go, and the man finally agreed.
Simple.
Simon's mother packed him a lunch too, but she thought he'd be coming home even before lunchtime.
When he got to the forest, Simple Simon met the little old gray man.
Again, the man said, Will you share your food with me?
I am so hungry and so very thirsty.
All I have is leftovers, Simple Simon replied, but I'm happy to share it with you.
The two of them sat down in a pretty meadow.
When Simple Simon opened up his basket, he found a delicious meal of tasty pancakes and lemonade.
The little old gray man said, You have such a good heart and were so kind to me.
I'm going to grant you good fortune.
See that old tree there?
Simple Simon nodded.
If you chop it down, you will find a special treasure at its roots.
Then the little old gray man disappeared.
Simple Simon did as he was told.
He chopped down the tree and discovered a goose with feathers of pure gold.
Simple Simon picked up the golden goose and started walking through the forest.
He thought, I can make my way in the world with this golden goose.
Simple Simon had always wanted to spend a night in an inn, so that's where he headed first.
When Simple Simon arrived at the inn, he met the innkeeper who introduced him to his three daughters.
When the girls saw the glistening golden feathers of the goose, each wanted to pluck one.
He managed to shield the goose and escape to his room.
The moment Simple Simon left his room for dinner, the oldest daughter crept into his room.
She tried to pull out one of the golden goose's feathers, but as soon as she touched it, her finger stuck to the goose.
She couldn't pull her hand away.
The second sister came in and tried to free her older sister from the golden goose, but the second girl became stuck to her sister.
The third sister heard shouting coming from the room.
As soon as she arrived, her sisters shouted, "'Stay away, or else you'll get stuck too!'
What are you talking about, she said, and walked over to touch her sister.
She too became stuck.
Simple Simon returned to his room after dinner.
He didn't even notice the girls were stuck to the goose.
He fell right into bed and slept until the next morning.
He woke up, yawned, threw back the covers, and picked up his goose.
He still didn't notice the three girls who were stuck to the golden bird.
He left the inn and took off for the road.
The girls had run behind him before they walked very fast.
They passed a man in a meadow.
The poor fellow could not believe his eyes when he saw Simple Simon, the goose and three girls go past.
He shouted, what are you girls doing chasing after that silly boy, the goose?
The man went closer to pull the youngest girl away.
Well, he got stuck too.
The entire group carried on.
They passed a blacksmith.
Hey, you're blocking the whole street, he shouted at them.
No one can get by.
He chased the chain of people, grabbed the man who was last in line, and ended up stuck too.
Soon.
Simple Simon had collected a pastor, a reverend, and one farmer, in addition to the blacksmith, the man in the meadow and the innkeeper's three daughters.
Wasn't until the very last person got stuck that he looked behind him, confused.
He said what are all you people doing hanging on to my golden goose?
They sighed and explained that they could not unstick themselves.
Well, simple simon said, we will just have to carry on like this until we can find a solution.
Later that day, the entire group came into a city.
The city was ruled by a king who had a very unhappy daughter.
He had said that anyone who could make his girl laugh would be allowed to marry her.
Simple Simon heard about this challenge.
He decided to bring his entire ridiculous group through the city to see if the princess would laugh.
When the princess saw the young man with the golden goose three girls, one man, one blacksmith, one pastor, one reverend and one farmer stuck to it she started to giggle.
Soon she was laughing very hard.
Simple.
Simon was pleased that he would now be able to marry the beautiful princess.
Who was now happy?
Here.
He said to the king, let me give you my golden goose to thank you for the honor.
The king ordered his servants to take the group into the castle and get them unstuck.
Meanwhile, the king wasn't sure that Simple Simon would make a good son-in-law.
He gave the lad a challenge.
If you can find a man who can drink an entire barrel of water, you can bury my daughter, he told the young man.
Simple Simon suddenly remembered how thirsty the little old gray man was.
He went back to the forest to find him.
Are you still thirsty?
Simple Simon asked the little old gray man.
I have a huge thirst that I just cannot seem to quench.
I am so thirsty, the little old gray man answered.
Come with me, Simple Simon said.
I know where there's an entire barrel of water you can drink.
Simple.
Simon took the little old gray man to the king's palace tower where he drank until his sides ached.
Once again, Simple Simon presented his success to the king.
May I now marry your daughter? he asked.
The king gave him a second challenge.
If you can find a man who can eat a mountain full of bread, I'll let you marry my daughter.
The little old man was still in the palace tower.
Simple Simon went up there to ask him if all that water had made him hungry.
The little old gray man said he was starving now, that he had had enough to drink.
Simple.
Simon led him to the castle's kitchen, where the cook had prepared an entire mountain of bread.
Before the day was done, the little old gray man had eaten every single piece.
Simple Simon congratulated him and sent him on his way back home to the forest.
Now for the third time.
Simple Simon stood before the king asking for his daughter's hand in marriage.
The king gave him an impossible challenge.
The moment you show me a ship that can sail on both land and water, I'll let you marry my daughter.
This time, Simple Simon had no idea what to do.
He knew it was an impossible task.
As he walked the lonely path back home through the forest, he came upon his friend, the little old gray man.
What's wrong? the old man asked.
Simple Simon replied, The king's given me an impossible task.
He will not let me marry his daughter until I show him a boat that sails both on land and on water.
I've given up, and now I'm going home.
The little old gray man smiled and said, Simple Simon, you were so kind to me.
You gave me enough water to drink and enough bread to eat.
You shared your lunch with me when you had so little.
Look over there.
Simple Simon looked to where the little old gray man was pointing.
There, right in front of his eyes, was a ship that could sail on both land and sea.
As Simple Simon rode it all the way to the king's castle, he knew he had finally met all of his challenges.
The king allowed the couple to marry that night, and they lived happily for many years.
