The Golden Goose Book

The Golden Goose Book, by L.
Leslie Brooke

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Title: The Golden Goose Book
Author: L. Leslie Brooke
Illustrator: L. Leslie Brooke
Release Date: April 20, 2005 [EBook #15661]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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THE GOLDEN GOOSE BOOK
BEING THE STORIES OF
THE GOLDEN GOOSE THE THREE BEARS THE 3 LITTLE PIGS
TOM THUMB
With numerous Drawings in Colour and Black-and-White
by
L. LESLIE BROOKE
LONDON
FREDERICK WARNE AND CO., LTD.
AND NEW YORK

Copyright in all countries signatory to the Berne Convention
FREDERICK WARNE & CO. LTD. LONDON, ENGLAND
FIRST PRINTED 1905
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN
PRINTED FOR THE PUBLISHERS BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND
SONS, LTD., LONDON AND BRECCLES

THE GOLDEN GOOSE
There was once a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was
called the Simpleton. He was laughed at and despised and neglected on
all occasions. Now it happened one day that the eldest son wanted to go

into the forest, to hew wood, and his Mother gave him a beautiful cake
and a bottle of wine to take with him, so that he might not suffer from
hunger or thirst. When he came to the wood he met a little old grey
man, who, bidding him good-day, said: "Give me a small piece of the
cake in your wallet, and let me drink a mouthful of your wine; I am so
hungry and thirsty." But the clever son answered: "If I were to give you
my cake and wine, I should have none for myself, so be off with you,"
and he left the little man standing there, and walked away. Hardly had
he begun to hew down a tree, when his axe slipped and cut his arm, so
that he had to go home at once and have the wound bound up. This was
the work of the little grey man.
Thereupon the second son went into the wood, and the Mother gave
him, as she had given to the eldest, a sweet cake and a bottle of wine.
The little old man met him also, and begged for a small slice of cake
and a drink of wine. But the second son spoke out quite plainly. "What
I give to you I lose myself--be off with you," and he left the little man
standing there, and walked on. Punishment was not long in coming to
him, for he had given but two strokes at a tree when he cut his leg so
badly that he had to be carried home.
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