Download the audio of the Golden Goose
This amusing tale by the Brothers Grimm tells the tale of a boy whose parents called him “Dummy”. But he can’t have been all that much of a dummy, because he found a golden goose and made all the grandest people of the local town look like fools. Dummy’s secret strength was that he had a kind heart – but few others rated that highly.
But if you are expecting this goose to lay a golden egg, please don’t be disappointed. It’s value, according to the Brothers Grimm, is in its golden feathers.
The Golden Goose has a few features in common with the English tale, Lazy Jack, and we think that if you like one, you’ll enjoy the other !
Read by Natasha. Duration 14.56.
Once upon a time, there lived a wood-cutter and his wife who had three sons. The eldest two were strong and tall, and their mother and father were always telling them how handsome and clever they were. But the youngest son was, to tell you the truth, just a bit simple in the head. He wasn’t very tall, and he wasn’t very strong, and his family thought he was good for nothing. They hardly ever called him by his real name, but instead they gave him a cruel nickname. They called him Dummy, because they said he was stupid.
One day the eldest son wanted to go to the forest to cut wood. The mother praised him for being such a useful boy and before he set out, she gave him some of her best fruit cake for his lunch, and a bottle of wine to wash it down. While the boy was walking through the forest, he met a little grey old man who said to him:
“Do give me a little piece of you cake and a swig of your wine. I’m so terribly hungry and thirsty.”
And the eldest son replied;
“Be off with you, you filthy old beggar. “
And the little grey old man went away, but not without taking his revenge. He put a curse on the boy, so that when he started to cut a tree down, his axe slipped and went into his leg. The boy limped home to his mother who washed his wound and bandaged him.
The next day, the second eldest son went out to the forest to cut wood. Before he set out, his mother praised him for being such a useful boy, but especially asked him to be careful with the axe, so as not to have a nasty accident like his brother. The boy promised to not to be careless, and his mother gave him some of her best sponge cake for his lunch, and a bottle of wine to wash it down.
It happened that as the boy was walking through the woods, he came across the same little gray old man. The man said to him, “Do please share your sponge cake and your wine with me, for I am so terribly weak with hunger and thirst.” And the boy said;
“Be off with you, you lazy old scoundrel. If you want to eat, you’d better work.”
And the little grey old man went away, but not without taking his revenge. Not long after, when the boy was cutting down a tree, his axe flew out of his hand and hit him on the head. He crawled home to his mother who bandaged up his wound and asked him why he had not kept his promise to be more careful.
For the rest of the week, the two eldest sons were both lying in bed recovering from their wounds. The father said to the third and youngest son:
“Get on your feet, you lazy Dummy, why are you sitting around doing nothing, when both brothers are hurt and unable to work? Get out to the forest and cut some wood – if you’re not too stupid to do that.”
The mother laughed at him and said, “It’s more than likely that Dummy will cut his own head off – but it won’t be much of loss to anyone.” And before he left she gave him some cake that she had burnt almost to a crust in the oven, and a bottle of sour beer to wash it down.
As the youngest boy was going through the woods, he met the same little gray old man who had crossed the path of his brothers. The man said to him:
“Do please share some of your cake and beer with me. I am so terribly hungry and thirsty, and I fear that if I don’t have something to eat and drink soon, I will surely die”
The young boy replied;
“Old man, I will gladly share with you what I have. But the cake is burned and the beer is sour.”
“Never mind that,” said the man. “I am grateful for what you can give me.”
And the boy and the little gray old man sat down and shared the cake and the beer. After they had finished their lunch, the man said:
“Since you have a good heart, and have shared what you have with me, I will give you a reward. You see that old tree over there. Cut it down with your axe and you will find something of value inside its hollow trunk.”
And so when the little gray old man had left, the young boy, whose parents called him “Dummy”, took his axe and cut down the hollow tree just as he had been told. Inside he found a goose – but this was no ordinary bird – for its feathers were made of gold.
The boy realised that he was in luck, and thought to himself: “Why should I go home now and suffer the insults of my parents and brothers? They will take this valuable bird from me, and I shall have nothing.”
And so the boy decided to run away from home. He put the golden goose under his arm and set out for the town. Then he went to the inn, intending to stay there. He stood at the bar and asked the innkeeper if he would accept a golden feather as payment for his board and lodgings. When the innkeeper, saw the golden goose, he readily agreed. But after the boy had gone to bed he said his three daughters:
“That young boy whose parents call him Dummy is staying up in our guest room. But he can’t be a simple in the head as they say – for he’s got a valuable bird with him – a goose with feathers made of gold.”
The eldest daughter thought to herself, “ Well fancy that. Feathers made of gold. I’ll pluck one or maybe more of those for myself.”
After the clock struck midnight, she sneaked into the boy’s room, and saw that he was asleep with his arm around the golden goose. She crept up and tried to pluck a feather. But the feather wouldn’t budge, and when she tried to take her hand away, she found that she was stuck to it. She couldn’t move, and she couldn’t cry out for fear of waking the boy. She had to stay where she was, on her knees by the bead, with her hand on the feather.
After the clock struck one in the morning, the second sister came in the room, planning to take one feather or more for herself. In the dark she didn’t see her sister, but as soon as she touched her back, she found that her hand was stuck fast to her, and she had to say where she was, not moving and not making a sound.
After the clock struck two in the morning, the third sister came in. The other two shouted: “Stay back !” but it was two late, – she reached out hoping to steal a feather and found that her hand was stuck to the middle sister.
The boy and the goose slept soundly through all of this. In the morning the boy got up, paid his bill with a golden feather, and left with inn with the goose under his arm. The sisters had no choice but to follow on behind him. A pretty procession they made.
Along the way they met the Bishop:
“What a sight!” he exclaimed. “It’s hardly right for three young women to follow a boy around like that !”
And as the girls went past he tapped the youngest on the shoulder. In doing so he found that he was stuck to her and had to follow.
Further up the road they met a police sergeant. The Bishop called out to him “Sergeant: Help me get free from this young woman’s shoulder. I’m stuck to her and people are bound to start all kind of gossip about it!”
The police sergeant tried to pull the Bishop free, but in doing so he found that both his hands stuck to his waste, and he had to follow along with the procession.
At the top of the road they met the mayor.
‘What’s this town coming to?” cried the mayor. “The Bishop and the police sergeant following three young girls who are following a young boy, all holding on to each other in a most unseemly fashion. Have they gone mad?”
And as he spoke, he tried to pull the police sergeant and the Bishop away – but in doing so he found that he was stuck to both of them, and had to follow on.
The boy and led the little line of townspeople along up the road, and at the top of the hill they passed the Kings Palace. Now the king’s daughter was very beautiful, but she had the saddest face in the whole wide world. She had never laughed and not once even smiled. The king was so troubled by the young princesses’ unhappiness, that he had made a special law. Whosoever could make her laugh and smile would win her hand in marriage.
But the truth was that nothing very funny ever happened inside the Royal Palace. All the kings servants and advisers were far to high and mighty to understand what would make a young girl laugh – or indeed to allow anything amusing to happen at all.
As the boy known as Dummy went past the palace, he still held the golden goose under his arm, and he was followed by the innkeeper’s three daughters, the Bishop, the police sergeant, and the mayor. The princess looked out at saw the important people in their uniforms being tugged along behind three girls and a boy with a goose, and she thought that it was the first thing she had seen in her life that was truly funny. She burst out laughing and ran, still giggling, to her father to tell him all about what she had seen. When the King looked out of his window and saw the procession, he couldn’t help laughing himself. He sent for his guards and told them to bring the boy and his followers directly to him. When the boy entered the King’s chamber, with the followers behind him, the mayor, the Bishop and the policeman all called out angrily that he should pay for his crime with his head. The king, still laughing, said that on the contrary – he would be rewarded with the hand in marriage of his daughter the princess.
For an entire week after that , the inn keepers three daughters, the Bishop, the policeman, and the mayor were all stuck to the gold goose and to one another. And while they were stuck , all the towns people and the whole court laughed and laughed at them.
And the boy whose family called him Dummy married the princess and inherited the kingdom. He lived with his beautiful wife and they had six happy smiling children, and the palace was often filled with laughter.
122 Comments
good
See the old saying states, “never judge a book by it’s cover. We say this because the people thought he was a dummy but he really was smart. Very good story!
thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks
marvellous story
i think it was a really good story compared to the ones i’m reading wright now (prince caspian,dog and artimus fowl),but their good too. I still think its better than all of them.
Natasha,you were really good and confident when you told the story,I wish I could meet you ,but the sucky thing is that we live on different sides of the planet,
your great
later,
LAUREN
The least boy is the more lucky than his two brothers.This story tells us it is very important to be an honest person.I like this story!
u ofidughidufhiguhdfiughdf people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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!
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can i have an egg
eggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggs
superb
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simply super….
Nice story
IT WAS A SUPER STORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
make a little bit funnier
it is a funny story but it is very interesting when the 3daughters of the innkeeper,bishop,police sergeant and the Mayor, stuck together on the goose. I’ts awesome
c’est bien raconté. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!
she spoke very fast
ilovedit
Good to read
Good to hear
Its really useful for my kids
its improving their English language.
Thank you very much
funny and very strange
Hi! I am a teacher and i am going to use this to teach my students the art of telling the story and also for the correct speaking over the mic
Manish, that’s great. We love our stories tobe used in schools.
it’s bit boring and not fun.
C’est bien!!!
Thank u Natasha!
Great Storyteller! I was looking for this for long time!
I’m making Musical DVD Ebooks for the Kids!
I like to know u and to ask u to work with us!
This is my address:
X_masood@yahoo.com
Regards
Masood
great storytelling!!!
Dear Natasha
Thank for your readings, as they will improve for sure my children english language.
I love this story!It’s wonderful!
I think someone must be fortunate,if he is kind and honest!^^
this story is very good.thanks a lot .i like your voice.
The story is so good. thanks,
i love this story it rocks!!!!! ROCK ON!!!!!
I’m from Korea. Natasha is great!!
I love this story and I reading another story too!!
Storynory is the best website!
I love this story!
storynory is the best website i ‘ve read
hi~ my name is mindy i’m 6years old.hahaha
Thank you Natasha!!!
is a good story for people to learn to treat people nice.
great:)
I love this story~~
intersted!!!!!!
c’est bien raconté. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!
bertie ,what does that mean and what does my
name mean?
your fave, no.1 fan,princess pearl .
I think Dummy is a good boy,he will be a good king.
Very funny.made me read this over and over.
the story is quite interesting.I can use it to learn English and relax at the same time.
Dear Natasha
I and my daughter are appreciated for your readings. It is a lovely story that telling people have to be kind and happiness.
WHAT IS HIS REAL NAME
THIS WAS TOOOO LONG TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I MEAN REALLY THINK ABOUT IT PLEASE
very nice story. I’m surely going to tell this story to my lil’ son today only.
outstanding job you guys did!!
good story
This story is so fun !
WoW! SUPER! YOU ARE GREAT! KEEP
IT UP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
that was a funy like the one werer smaked on the head and leg
We can’t say someone will never win. It’s a terrible mistake!!!
Hail from Brazil.
Bye
it is beuteafull story
I love this web. I need the very short stories, just in 3 or 4 paragraph. I’ll use all the stories as teaching materials.
I want this story
Pleas can I have this story from emily
There were some mistakes.
coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hi the golden goose
This is a very good story!!!!!
i dont like it
I REALLY ENJOY THIS STORY
oh thanks Natasha, your site is
very useful
im Korean, my name is soorim.
i ve always wanted to learn th Britten articulation,
any way so thanksful of U
n hope your work to be Flourish ^^
i like your reading and you read very clearly i whant to read all of your storys one day
it story really good
낰엿다 ㅋㅋ
it was awsome
thank you
i am Iranian and your site is very proper for me. thanks a lot!
good
not so good
It was sad at first then got funny.
YO QUIERO UNA ISTORIA PERO ME SALEN SUPER LARGAS YO QUIERO UNA BIENNN PERO BIEN CORTA NADIE TIENE NINGUNA
the story was really good but there were some homophones misspelled ,furthermore all your stories are superb!
It was OK because what ever the storyteller said wasn’t evrything that the words said
YOU READ SO WELL AND I ENJOYED THE STORIES THAT YOU READ.
FROM MALTA
I like this story …
I enjoyed this story which translated into Vietnamese when I was a little child. The book I had was a picture book with good colorful illustrations that showing a chain of people who want to steal a golden goose but find themselves being glued into her feathers instead.
Now I can find an English version that I would like to thank you, Natasha, with your free download audio, too.
Like I say, I mostly read the translated versions so I could not tell how many stories by Brothers Grimm I have read. If not misremembering, I would look for a story name “A cat wears shoes” or probably “A pair of shoes of seven miles”.
Regards
MD
Dear MD Many thanks for your comment. Are you thinking of Puss in Boots?
http://storynory.com/2007/09/10/puss-in-boots/
this website has cool stories
it is only a funny story :p
It’s a good story!
It’s a fantastic story full of good meaning and funny at the same time .. thank you natash for this amazing reading
it’s really a perfect work..!
Mohamed from morocco
best story ever!!!
i love this story…ali from the philipines
i am a new english learner it was bit difficult for me to understand each and every thing.
sooooooooooooooooooooooo nice stry
the story is really hillarious! hahaha…..
good things happen to good people.=)
What a funny story!!!!
A littlle bit ridiculous but a very nice story!!!!
I really love it!!
wow nice story its lovely
We thought it was so awesome
From Story Lovers
emily harding
mya lake
These stories are very good for learning English.thanks alot
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!!Say,could you put some more Arthur storys?Pleaseee!!With the bestest green slime on top!!!!!!
I love it.thankssssssssssssssssssssss
very funny and happy story!!
Dummy is happy boy with wife, now~
This story is so great for study English!!
Thank u Natasha
gooooooooooooooooooood
stiil goooood
very goooooooooooooooooooood
The two brothers learnd ther lssen.
the old hungrey man was nice to the boy becouse the boy shared his food onlike his brothers.
I think it was funny when the town stock to the goose that had gold wings.
Good nice story
I LOVED……THIS STORY IT WAS THE BEST STORY I HAVE EVER READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good to read
Good to hear
Its really useful for my kids
its improving their English language.
Thank you very much
gooooooooooooooooooood
Interesting and very helpful for kids and adults who want to improve their english. The audio quality is very good. The pace of the story is amazing. You can both read and listen simultaneously.
A good story for both kids and adults. Natasha narrated it in a professional way. The sound effects were very appropriate.
both story and reader are very good
I loooooooooooove this story
It’s too long!!!!!;-(
i love it it was funny
I listen and read these nice story to improve my English skills.
because these story are nice and interesting for all.
thanks
thank you for sharing.
what a beautiful voice….just like come from heaven
ok that was alright
The golden goose was so beuttful.
i love the book so cute
This story is very exciting
;]
cool!!
(^^^)
i love it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
oh,I love it very much!It ’s so lovely!Love you so much,Natasha.
best story on your site!
I like this story thx
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