There was a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was called the Simpleton, and was despised, laughed at, and neglected, on every occasion. It happened one day that the eldest¹ son wished to go into the forest to cut wood, and before he went his mother gave him a delicious pancake and a flask² of wine, that he might not suffer from hunger or thirst. When he came into the forest a little old grey man met him, who wished him good day, and said, "Give me a bit of cake out of your pocket, and let me have a drink of your wine; I am so hungry and thirsty." But the prudent³ youth answered, "Give you my cake and my wine? I haven't got any; be off with you." And leaving the little man standing⁴ there, he went off. Then he began to fell a tree, but he had not been at it long before he made a wrong stroke, and the hatchet⁵ hit him in the arm, so that he was obliged to go home and get it bound up. That was what came of the little grey man.

Afterwards the second son went into the wood, and the mother gave to him, as to the eldest, a pancake and a flask of wine. The little old grey man met him also, and begged for a little bit of cake and a drink of wine. But the second son spoke⁶ out plainly, saying, "What I give you I lose myself, so be off with you." And leaving the little man standing there, he went off. The punishment followed; as he was chopping away at the tree, he hit himself in the leg so severely⁷ that he had to be carried home.

Then said the Simpleton, "Father, let me go for once into the forest to cut wood; and the father answered, "Your brothers have hurt themselves by so doing; give it up, you understand nothing about it." But the Simpleton went on begging so long, that the father said at last, "Well, be off with you; you will only learn by experience." The mother gave him a cake (it was only made with water, and baked in the ashes), and with it a flask of sour beer. When he came into the forest the little old grey man met him, and greeted him, saying, "Give me a bit of your cake, and a drink from your flask; I am so hungry and thirsty." And the Simpleton answered, "I have only a flour and water cake and sour beer; but if that is good enough for you, let us sit down together and eat." Then they sat down, and as the Simpleton took out his flour and water cake it became a rich pancake, and his sour beer became good wine; then they ate and drank, and afterwards the little man said, "As you have such a kind heart, and share what you have so willingly, I will bestow⁸ good luck upon you. Yonder stands an old tree; cut it down, and at its roots you will find some thing," and thereupon the little man took his departure.

The Simpleton went there, and hewed⁹ away at the tree, and when it fell he saw, sitting among the roots, a goose with feathers of pure gold. He lifted it out and took it with him to an inn where he intended to stay the night. The landlord had three daughters who, when they saw the goose, were curious to know what wonderful kind of bird it was, and ended by longing¹⁰ for one of its golden feathers. The eldest thought, "I will wait for a good opportunity, and then I will pull out one of its feathers for myself;" and so, when the Simpleton was gone out, she seized the goose by its wing - but there her finger and hand had to stay, held fast. Soon after came the second sister with the same idea of plucking out one of the golden feathers for herself; but scarcely had she touched her sister, than she also was obliged to stay, held fast. Lastly came the third with the same intentions; but the others screamed out, "Stay away! for heaven's sake stay away!" But she did not see why she should stay away, and thought, "If they do so, why should not I?" and went towards them. But when she reached her sisters there she stopped, hanging on with them. And so they had to stay, all night.

The next morning the Simpleton took the goose under his arm and went away, unmindful of the three girls that hung on to it. The three had always to run after him, left and right, wherever his legs carried him. In the midst of the fields they met the parson, who, when he saw the procession, said, "Shame on you, girls, running after a young fellow through the fields like this," and forthwith he seized hold of the youngest by the hand to drag her away, but hardly had he touched her when he too was obliged to run after them himself. Not long after the sexton came that way, and seeing the respected parson following at the heels of the three girls, he called out, "Ho, your reverence¹¹, whither away so quickly? You forget that we have another christening to-day," and he seized hold of him by his gown; but no sooner had he touched him than he was obliged to follow on too. As the five tramped on, one after another, two peasants with their hoes came up from the fields, and the parson cried out to them, and begged them to come and set him and the sexton free, but no sooner had they touched the sexton than they had to follow on too; and now there were seven following the Simpleton and the goose.

By and by they came to a town where a king reigned¹², who had an only daughter who was so serious that no one could make her laugh; therefore the king had given out that whoever should make her laugh should have her in marriage. The Simpleton, when he heard this, went with his goose and his hangers-on into the presence of the king's daughter, and as soon as she saw the seven people following always one after the other, she burst out laughing, and seemed as if she could never stop.

And so the Simpleton earned a right to her as his bride; but the king did not like him for a son-in-law and made all kinds of objections, and said he must first bring a man who could drink up a whole cellar of wine. The Simpleton thought that the little grey man would be able to help him, and went out into the forest, and there, on the very spot where he felled the tree, he saw a man sitting with a very sad countenance¹³. The Simpleton asked him what was the matter, and he answered, "I have a great thirst, which I cannot quench¹⁴: cold water does not agree with me; I have indeed drunk up a whole cask of wine, but what good is a drop like that?" Then said the Simpleton, "I can help you; only come with me, and you shall have enough." He took him straight to the king's cellar, and the man sat himself down before the big vats¹⁵, and drank, and drank, and before a day was over he had drunk up the whole cellar-full.

The Simpleton again asked for his bride, but the king was annoyed that a wretched fellow, called the Simpleton by everybody, should carry off his daughter, and so he made new conditions. He was to produce a man who could eat up a mountain of bread. The Simpleton did not hesitate long, but ran quickly off to the forest, and there in the same place sat a man who had fastened a strap¹⁶ round his body, making a very piteous face, and saying, "I have eaten a whole bakehouse full of rolls, but what is the use of that when one is so hungry as I am? My stomach feels quite empty, and I am obliged to strap myself together, that I may not die of hunger." The Simpleton was quite glad of this, and said, "Get up quickly, and come along with me, and you shall have enough to eat." He led him straight to the king's courtyard, where all the meal in the kingdom had been collected and baked into a mountain of bread. The man out of the forest settled himself down before it and hastened to eat, and in one day the whole mountain had disappeared. Then the Simpleton asked for his bride the third time. The king, however, found one more excuse, and said he must have a ship that should be able to sail on land or on water. "So soon," said he, "as you come sailing along with it, you shall have my daughter for your wife." The Simpleton went straight to the forest, and there sat the little old grey man with whom he had shared his cake, and he said, "I have eaten for you, and I have drunk for you, I will also give you the ship; and all because you were kind to me at the first." Then he gave him the ship that could sail on land and on water, and when the king saw it he knew he could no longer withhold¹⁷ his daughter.

The marriage took place immediately, and at the death of the king the Simpleton possessed¹⁸ the kingdom, and lived long and happily with his wife.

从前，有个男子，膝下抚养了三个儿子。最小的那个儿子叫做小傻瓜，经常受到另外两个儿子的嘲弄取笑，总是遭人白眼。有一次，大儿子要去森林里砍柴，母亲让他带上一块美味的大蛋糕和一瓶葡萄酒，怕他饿着，渴着。

走到森林后，他遇见了一位白发苍苍的小老头儿。小老头儿向他道了一声好，然后对他说："把你袋子里的蛋糕给我一小块儿，再给我一口酒喝吧。我又饥又渴，实在难忍啊。"

自私的大儿子回答说："我干嘛要把我的蛋糕和葡萄酒给你呢？给了你我吃啥喝啥？你快给我滚开！"说完他白了小老头儿一眼，就自顾自地走了。

随后，他开始砍树。砍了一会儿，他一斧下去没有砍到树上，却砍伤了自己的胳膊，于是只得回家去包扎了。

接着，二儿子要去森林砍柴，母亲像对待大儿子一样，让他带上一块大蛋糕和一瓶葡萄酒。他同样碰到了那个白发苍苍的小老头儿，小老头儿恳求给他一小块蛋糕和一口酒。二儿子却粗暴地说："我绝不会把吃的喝的给你，却让自己忍饥挨饿。"小老头儿可怜巴巴地伸着两手站在那里，他睬也不睬，扬长而去。他也受到了同样的报应--斧子没有砍在树上，却砍伤了自己的腿，只得被抬回家去。

这时，小傻瓜对他父亲说："爸爸，让我去砍柴吧。"

他父亲回答说："你看，你两个哥哥去砍柴，把自己都砍伤啦。你从来没有砍过柴，一点儿也不会呀，就别去啦。"

可是，小傻瓜却一个劲儿地恳求父亲，最后父亲只好答应了。

母亲让他带上一块在炭灰里烤的面饼子，还有一瓶酸啤酒，做为午饭。

他来到森林，也遇到了那个白发苍苍的小老头儿，小老头儿向他问候了一句，然后对他说，"把你的饼子给我一点儿吃，再给我一口酒喝。"

小傻瓜回答说："坐下吧，可我只有一块在碳灰里烤的饼子和酸啤酒，你要是不嫌弃，咱们就一块儿吃吧。"

于是，他俩坐了下来，可是当小傻瓜拿出那块碳灰里烤的饼子时，饼却变成了一快大蛋糕，酸啤酒也变成了上好的葡萄酒。

他俩吃喝完了之后，小老头儿对他说："你心肠真好，把午饭和我分着吃，我要好好回报你。那边有一棵老树，去把它砍倒，在树干中你会找到宝物的。"

小傻瓜走过去砍倒了那棵树，就在老树倒地的一刹那，一只大鹅飞了出来，浑身上下的羽毛全是纯金的。他抱起金鹅，到一家小旅店去过夜。店主有三个女儿，看到这么漂亮的大鹅，都特别好奇。大女儿心里想："保准有机会拔掉它一片羽毛。"于是，趁小傻瓜不在房间时，她就跑过去一把抓住金鹅的翅膀，谁料她的手指被牢牢地粘住了，怎么也抽不回来。过了一会儿，二女儿走了进来，也想拔一片羽毛，可她刚一挨着姐姐，也被牢牢地粘住了。接着，三女儿也来了，两个姐姐对她大喊大叫："看在老天爷的份上，千万别过来！"她却听也不听，冲过去想看看两个姐姐到底在干什么，结果也被粘住了。这样，三姐妹只得陪着金鹅过了一夜。

第二天早晨，小傻瓜抱起金鹅了上路，根本没注意那三个粘在金鹅身上跟在后面的店主小姐。三位小姐只得紧紧地跟在小傻瓜的身后，忽左忽右，一路小跑。

走到野外时，他们遇到了一位牧师。牧师看着这支小队伍，说道："可真不知害臊，一帮疯丫头！跟着一个小伙子到处跑，像什么话嘛！"说着，牧师一把抓住三小姐，想把她拉开，不料自己也被粘住了，不得不跟着几个姑娘一块儿跑起来。

没过多久，他们碰到了教堂执事。教堂执事眼见牧师跟在三个姑娘的屁股后面紧追不舍，惊得目瞪口呆。他喊叫道："牧师先生，你这样急匆匆地到哪儿去呀？你可别忘了，今天还要做洗礼呢！"喊罢，他跑上前去，紧紧地抓住了牧师的衣袖，结果也像那几位一样，被牢牢地粘住了，跟在后面跑。

正在这一行五人一个紧跟着一个浩浩荡荡地行进的时候，地头上走来两个扛着耙子的农民。牧师喊叫着请他们把他和教堂执事解脱出来，可是他们刚碰着教堂执事，也无可奈何地被粘住了。这样一来，已经有七个人跟在抱着金鹅的小傻瓜身后跑了。

他们来到一座城市。住在城里的国王有一个女儿，冷若冰霜，谁也休想使她笑一笑。因此国王曾公开宣布，谁能把他的女儿逗笑，谁就可以娶她为妻。

小傻瓜听说了这件事，就带着金鹅和后边的一大串随从来到公主的面前。公主一见这七个人寸步不离，连成一串，立刻哈哈大笑起来，笑个没完没了。

于是，小傻瓜提出要娶公主为妻，可是国王内心不太赞成，便提出种种异议，还说什么要使他点头同意小傻瓜做他的女婿，小傻瓜就必须先找到一个能喝完一窖葡萄酒的人来见他。

小傻瓜想起了小老头儿，便来到森林中他砍倒那棵老树的地方。只见小老头儿就坐在那里，满面愁容。小傻瓜走上前去，问他有什么不高兴的事。

小老头儿回答说："我渴得要命，喝什么都不解渴。凉水呢，我喝了受不了，葡萄酒呢，我刚刚喝了一桶，感觉却像一滴水要浸湿烤焦的大石头一样，顶什么用呢？"

"听着，我能帮帮你，"小傻瓜说道，"跟我走，准保你能解渴。"

说罢，小傻瓜领着小老头儿走进国王的酒窖里。小老头儿走到一只只大酒桶跟前，喝呀喝呀，不停地喝，喝得腰身酸痛，天快黑的时候，他把酒窖里的酒全部喝干了。

小傻瓜又一次提出要娶公主为妻，谁知国王一听又火冒三丈：一个人人取笑的傻小子竟然想做我的女婿，真是痴心妄想！于是，国王提出了更加苛刻的条件：小傻瓜必须把这样一个人带到王宫来……他能吃完像山那么大的一堆面包。

小傻瓜再次来到森林中他砍倒那棵老树的地方。

只见那里坐着一个汉子，腰带把身子束得紧紧的，一副愁眉苦脸的样子。"我吃了整整一炉黑面包，"他对小傻瓜说，"可我饿得太厉害啦，吃这点儿东西又能顶什么事儿呢？我的肚子还是空空如也，你瞧，要想不饿死，我就只好像这样勒紧裤带啦。"

小傻瓜一听欣喜若狂，便说："起来！我带你到一个地方去，到了那儿，你可以放开肚皮吃，吃得饱饱的。"

小傻瓜把他领到了王宫。那里堆放的面包，看上去就像一座大山，是用全国运送来的面粉烤制的。

从森林来的这个人开始吃起来，吃得津津有味，不到一天时间，那么大一堆面包就无影无踪了。

小傻瓜第三次提出要娶公主为妻，可国王却再次推三阻四。

这一次，国王提出要小傻瓜弄来一艘在海上和在陆地上都能行驶的船。"开着这样一艘船来见我，"他说，"你就可以娶我的女儿为妻。"

小傻瓜马上动身又去了森林，找到了那位白发苍苍的小老头儿。小老头儿对他说："我替你喝了那么多的酒，替你吃了那么多的面包，现在还要心甘情愿地送给你一艘水陆两用船，我之所以为你做这一切，因为你曾经对我很友善。"

于是，小老头儿将一艘水陆两用船送给了小傻瓜。国王见了这艘船，不好再阻止小傻瓜的请求。

小傻瓜与公主举行了婚礼。国王去世后，小傻瓜继承了王位，把王国治理得繁荣富强。