Household Tales · Chapter
The Golden Goose explained
Dummling, the youngest and most despised son, goes into the forest to cut wood after his two older brothers injure themselves.
What happens
Dummling, the youngest and most despised son, goes into the forest to cut wood after his two older brothers injure themselves. He shares his meager food with a little grey-haired old man, who transforms it into a fine meal and rewards him by revealing a golden goose at the roots of a tree. Dummling takes the goose to an inn, where the innkeeper's three daughters become stuck to it one after another. The parson, sexton, and two laborers also become stuck when they try to intervene. Dummling leads this comical procession to a king's city, where the sight makes the solemn princess laugh. He marries her and eventually inherits the kingdom.
Themes in this chapter
Virtue Rewarded and Vice Punished
Dummling's kindness and willingness to share are rewarded with the golden goose and eventual marriage to the princess, while his selfish brothers are punished with injury.
Social Class and Marriage
Dummling, a lowly despised son, marries the princess and inherits the kingdom, illustrating a rise in social status through virtue.
Characters to notice
- Dummling
The youngest son, initially despised and mocked, who shows kindness to the old man and is rewarded with the golden goose.
- the girl
The eldest daughter of the innkeeper, who becomes stuck to the golden goose when trying to pull a feather.
- the maiden
The second daughter of the innkeeper, who also becomes stuck to the goose.
- the princess
The king's daughter who is so serious that no one can make her laugh, but laughs at the sight of the procession.
- the priest
The parson who tries to pull the youngest daughter away and becomes stuck himself.
Key passages
“When he entered the forest there met him a little grey-haired old man who bade him good day, and said, 'Do give me a piece of cake out of your pocket, and let me have a draught of your wine; I am so hungry and thirsty.'”
In the forest, a small old man with grey hair greeted Dummling and asked for some of his cake and wine because he was hungry and thirsty.
The old man tests the generosity of the brothers.
“Dummling answered, 'I have only cinder-cake and sour beer; if that pleases you, we will sit down and eat.' So they sat down, and when Dummling pulled out his cinder-cake, it was a fine sweet cake, and the sour beer had become good wine.”
Dummling offered his humble food to the old man, and when they ate, the cake and beer were magically transformed into delicious fare.
Dummling's generosity leads to a magical reward.
“When Dummling heard this, he went with his goose and all her train before the King’s daughter, and as soon as she saw the seven people running on and on, one behind the other, she began to laugh quite loudly, and as if she would never leave off.”
Upon learning of the decree, Dummling brought the goose and the stuck people to the princess, and the sight of them running in a line made her laugh uncontrollably.
The comical procession breaks the princess's solemnity.