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 calledthe Simpleton. He was laughed at and despised and neglected on alloccasions. Now it happened one day that the eldest son wanted to go intothe forest, to hew wood, and his Mother gave him a beautiful cake and abottle of wine to take with him, so that he might not suffer from hungeror 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 yourwallet, and let me drink a mouthful of your wine; I am so hungry andthirsty." But the clever son answered: "If I were to give you my cakeand wine, I should have none for myself, so be off with you," and he leftthe little man standing there, and walked away. Hardly had he begun to hewdown a tree, when his axe slipped and cut his arm, so that he had to gohome at once and have the wound bound up. This was the work of the littlegrey man.
Thereupon the second son went into the wood, and the Mother gave him, asshe had given to the eldest, a sweet cake and a bottle of wine. The littleold man met him also, and begged for a small slice of cake and a drink ofwine. But the second son spoke out quite plainly. "What I give to you Ilose 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 hadgiven but two strokes at a tree when he cut his