The Golden Goose - Fairy tales and stories for children

Summary

In this enchanting tale, Simpleton, the youngest son of an aging man, is constantly mocked by his older brothers. When sent into the woods to chop wood, both brothers reject a dwarf's request for food and drink, leading to misfortune. Simpleton, however, shares what little he has, and in return, the dwarf gifts him a golden goose. After an eventful journey involving a series of comical mishaps, Simpleton wins the princess’s heart and proves his worth. Despite his humble beginnings, he triumphs, and in the end, becomes the ruler, proving that kindness and simplicity can lead to great success.

Takeaways

• 😀 A man had three sons, and the youngest, named Simpleton, was constantly mocked by his older brothers.
• 😀 The father asked his eldest son to chop wood in the forest, but he was selfish and refused to share food with a dwarf, resulting in him injuring himself.
• 😀 The second son also refused to share food with the dwarf and suffered an injury in the forest.
• 😀 Despite warnings, Simpleton begged his father to let him go to the forest, even with a loaf of stale bread and sour beer.
• 😀 Simpleton met the same dwarf and shared his meager food with him, leading the dwarf to reward him with a magical golden goose.
• 😀 The golden goose caused chaos when the innkeeper's daughters tried to steal its feathers, and they became stuck to it, forming a strange procession.
• 😀 A series of people, including two vicars and two woodcutters, also got stuck to the goose, creating an increasingly absurd chain of people.
• 😀 Simpleton eventually brought the golden goose to the king’s court, where his strange procession made the princess laugh, completing the first challenge.
• 😀 Despite winning the first challenge, the king devised two more challenges: finding someone who could drink an entire wine cellar and finding a ship that could sail on both land and water.
• 😀 Simpleton completed both challenges with the help of the dwarf, who provided him with a solution each time, leading to him marrying the princess and ruling the country after the king's death.

Q & A

Why were the brothers mocking and bullying the youngest son?

The brothers mocked and bullied the youngest son because he was perceived as weaker and simpler compared to them, often calling him 'simpleton.'

What happened to the eldest son when he went into the forest?

The eldest son refused to share his food and drink with a dwarf he encountered in the forest, and as a result, he was cursed and injured while chopping wood, forcing him to return home without completing his task.

How did the second son fare when he went into the forest?

Similar to the eldest son, the second son also refused to share with the dwarf and was cursed. He ended up injuring himself while chopping wood and had to return home early.

What was different about the youngest son’s encounter with the dwarf?

The youngest son was kind-hearted and shared his old bread and sour beer with the dwarf. In return, the dwarf rewarded him with a golden goose found in the roots of a tree.

What happened when the youngest son took the golden goose to the inn?

When the youngest son left the golden goose unattended at the inn, the innkeeper's three daughters tried to steal its feathers. However, they got stuck to the goose, forming a chain that grew as others joined, including two vicars and two woodcutters.

Why did the king set difficult quests for the youngest son?

The king set difficult quests because he did not want his daughter to marry someone he considered too simple for her, even though the youngest son had succeeded in the first challenge by making her laugh.

How did the youngest son solve the king’s second quest?

The youngest son found a man who could drink a cellar full of wine, thus completing the king’s second quest, even though the king was still dissatisfied.

What was the third quest the king set for the youngest son?

The king’s third quest was to find a ship that could sail both on water and on land, a seemingly impossible task designed to thwart the youngest son.

How did the youngest son succeed in the third quest?

The youngest son returned to the dwarf, who gave him a magical boat that could sail on both land and water, fulfilling the king’s third quest.

How did the youngest son’s life change after completing the king’s tasks?

After completing the king’s tasks, the youngest son married the princess, and they ruled the country together after the king’s death. His family no longer called him 'simpleton' but used his real name, recognizing his worth.