"NARRATOR:" "The Golden Goose." "Once upon a time, there was a man and a woman." "They had three sons." "The youngest one was named Dummling." "He was sneered at by everyone." "One day, the eldest son went to the forest to chop some wood." "His mother gave him some cake and some wine to take with him, so that he would not be hungry or thirsty." "ln the forest, he felt the need to rest." "There, he met a little old grey man." "The man greeted him and asked for a sip of wine." ""lf l give you some, there won't be any for me." ""Go away!"" "He began chopping wood." "But it was not long before he had injured himself with the axe." "And so he returned home to get his wound dressed." "The father then sent the second son into the forest." "The second son was also asked for food and wine by the little old grey man." "But he didn't care and went along his way." "He, too, got what he deserved." "Then the youngest son said," ""Father, please, give me the axe and let me go to the forest to chop the wood."" "When the mother saw that Dummling was going to the forest, she gave him some dry bread and water." "The elder brothers jeered him." "ln the forest, Dummling also encountered the little old grey man." "The man greeted him and said," ""l am hungry and thirsty."" "Dummling replied," ""l only have some dry bread and water." ""But if this is to your liking, then sit and eat."" "Then the little man turned the water into a bottle of fine wine," "and the dry bread into a roasted chicken." "They ate and drank, and the little man said," ""Because you have a good heart I would like to bestow a fortune upon you." ""There is an old tree." ""Cut it down." "You will find something in the roots."" "ln the roots of the tree sat a goose." "lts feathers were of pure gold." "The little man said goodbye to Dummling and then said," ""Take the goose and go." "I want to bestow more fortune upon you."" "And so Dummling departed, eventually reaching a tavern." "The innkeeper had three daughters." "They saw the goose and wanted one of its feathers." ""Don't touch it!"" "The eldest daughter thought up a trick." "But when she touched the goose's wing, she found her fingers stuck to it." ""l warned you," said Dummling." "He took the goose and left." "The middle daughter grabbed her sister's skirt to pull her free." "When the third daughter saw this, she tried to help and also got stuck." ""Why are you following that young lad?" asked the Reverend." "Wanting to free the girls, he, too, found himself glued to the goose." ""Reverend, where are you going?"" "The Sexton grabbed the Reverend's sleeve, and he, too, got stuck." "There were now five people trailing Dummling and the goose as they reached the town." "A chimney sweep wanted to help the Reverend and the Sexton." "No sooner had he touched the Sexton, but he was stuck, too." "The King had a daughter who was so sad that she never laughed, not even at the jester on the high-wire." "When the jester saw the procession of people trailing the goose, he laughed and fell." "The King decreed a new law." "Whosoever would make his daughter laugh again would have her hand in marriage." "Dummling heard this and took his goose and the procession to see the Princess." "When the Princess saw the seven people trailing the goose, she laughed out loud and could not stop." "Soon after, the news was trumpeted from the palace towers:" "the Princess had been freed from her sadness!" "The Princess led her father to the balcony and showed him the person she wanted to marry." "At that very moment, the goose's feathers lost their magic." "The King did not like his new son-in-law." "He stood firm against his daughter's begging and pleading." "He was angry that she wanted to marry a lad known as Dummling." "And so the Princess became sad again." "She cried bitter tears." "Dummling entered the King's palace to claim the bride he had been promised." "The goose entered the Princess' room ahead of Dummling." "When the Princess saw the wondrous bird, she took it onto her lap, and as soon as she stroked its golden feathers, she was happy again." "Then Dummling stepped before the Princess and asked for her hand in marriage." "The Princess asked for her groom again." "But her father was determined." "Then the goose pecked at his sleeve." ""What do you want, you stupid bird?" "Speak!"" ""Dummling is merciful." "He will be a good ruler after you."" "After hearing this, the King pondered for a long time." "Finally, he agreed, and his daughter and Dummling lived happily ever after."