Then said the Simpleton:  “Father, let me go into the forest and hew wood.”  But his Father answered him:  “Your brothers have done themselves much harm, so as you understand nothing about wood-cutting you had better not try.”  But the Simpleton begged for so long that at last the Father said:  “Well, go if you like; experience will soon make you wiser.”  To him the Mother gave a cake, but it was made with water and had been baked in the ashes, and with it she gave him a bottle of sour beer.  When he came to the wood the little grey man met him also, and greeted him, and said:  “Give me a slice of your cake and a drink from your bottle; I am so hungry and thirsty.”  The Simpleton replied:  “I have only a cake that has been baked in the ashes, and some sour beer, but if that will satisfy you, let us sit down and eat together.”  So they sat themselves down, and as the Simpleton held out his food it became a rich cake, and the sour beer became good wine.  So they ate and drank together, and when the meal was finished, the little man said:  “As you have a good heart and give so willingly a share of your own, I will grant you good luck.  Yonder stands an old tree; hew it down, and in its roots you will find something.”  Saying this the old man took his departure, and off went the Simpleton and cut down the tree.  When it fell, there among its roots sat a goose, with feathers of pure gold.  He lifted her out, and carried her with him to an inn where he intended to stay the night.

Now the innkeeper had three daughters, who on seeing the goose were curious to know what wonderful kind of a bird it could be, and longed to have one of its golden feathers.  The eldest daughter thought to herself, “Surely a chance will come for me to pull out one of those feathers”; and so when the Simpleton had gone out, she caught the goose by the wing.  But there her hand stuck fast!  Shortly afterwards the second daughter came, as she too was longing for a golden feather.  She had hardly touched her sister, however, when she also stuck fast.  And lastly came the third daughter with the same object.  At this the others cried out, “Keep off, for goodness’ sake, keep off!” But she, not understanding why they told her to keep away, thought to herself, “If they go to the goose, why should not I?” She sprang forward, but as she touched her sister she too stuck fast, and pull as she might she could not get away; and thus they had all to pass the night beside the goose.

The next morning the Simpleton took the goose under his arm and went on his way, without troubling himself at all about the three girls who were hanging to the bird.  There they went, always running behind him, now to the right, now to the left, whichever way he chose to go.  In the middle of the fields they met the parson, and when he saw the procession he called out, “Shame on you, you naughty girls, why do you run after a young fellow in this way?  Come, leave go!” With this he caught the youngest