The Golden Goose

Once upon a time, there was a man who had three sons. The youngest was called the Fool. He was often ridiculed, ignored, and overlooked whenever work needed to be done. One day, the eldest son decided to go into the forest to chop wood. Before leaving, his mother gave him a delicious egg cake and a bottle of wine to sustain him. As he entered the forest, a small old man with silvery hair approached and asked for a piece of cake and a sip of wine, saying he was hungry and thirsty. The eldest son refused, saying, “If I give you my food and wine, I will have nothing left. You may go on your way.” Ignoring the old man, he continued chopping but soon slipped and cut his arm with the axe, forcing him to return home. This accident was caused by the old man’s magical influence. The second son faced the same encounter and responded in the same way, “If I give you my food, I will have nothing left for myself.” He too ignored the old man and suffered a similar fate, accidentally chopping his own leg.

Finally, the Fool asked his father if he could go into the forest. His father warned him that his brothers had been injured and doubted his abilities. After much pleading, he allowed him to go, saying, “Failure and pain are the best teachers.” The Fool’s mother gave him a baked ash-covered cake and a bottle of sour beer. In the forest, the old man appeared once again, asking for food and drink. The Fool kindly replied, “I only have ash-baked cake and sour beer, but if you can manage, please share it with me.” They sat together, and to his surprise, the cake transformed into a delicious egg cake, and the sour beer became fine wine. The old man blessed the Fool for his generosity and instructed him to chop down a mighty old tree, promising that he would find something special among its roots. Following the advice, the Fool discovered a golden-feathered goose.

The Fool carried the goose to an inn to stay overnight. The innkeeper had three curious daughters, each eager to pluck a feather. The moment they touched the goose, their hands became stuck, and eventually, all three daughters had to sleep beside it. The next morning, as the Fool left, the daughters were forced to follow him. A priest and his assistant tried to intervene, but they too became stuck. Two farmers attempted to help but were caught as well. Soon, seven people were trailing the Fool in a comical procession, unable to free themselves.

The Fool eventually reached the capital, where a serious-minded princess lived. She had never laughed, and the king declared that anyone who could make her laugh would earn the right to marry her. Seeing the Fool and the tangled group with the golden goose, the princess burst into uncontrollable laughter. The Fool asked for her hand, but the king set impossible tasks. First, the Fool needed to find a man who could drink an entire cellar of wine. He returned to the old man in the forest, who drank all the wine in the palace cellar in less than a day. The second task was to find someone who could eat a mountain of bread. The Fool found a man with a tiny waist who had eaten vast amounts before, and he devoured the bread, completing the second challenge.

The final task required a ship that could travel both on land and in water. The old man, who had orchestrated the previous miracles, gave the Fool a magical ship. With this, the Fool completed the king’s conditions. Unable to refuse any longer, the king allowed the marriage. The Fool married the princess, and after the king’s death, he ascended the throne, living happily ever after.

This story teaches that kindness, humility, and willingness to help others are rewarded, while selfishness leads to misfortune. Generosity and compassion can transform even the most underestimated person into a hero.