There was a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was calledDummling,[*] and was despised, mocked, and sneered at on every occasion.

It happened that the eldest wanted to go into the forest to hew wood,and before he went his mother gave him a beautiful sweet cake and abottle of wine in order that he might not suffer from hunger or thirst.

When he entered the forest he met a little grey-haired old man who badehim 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.' Butthe clever son answered: 'If I give you my cake and wine, I shall havenone for myself; be off with you,' and he left the little man standingand went on.

But when he began to hew down a tree, it was not long before he made afalse stroke, and the axe cut him in the arm, so that he had to go homeand have it bound up. And this was the little grey man's doing.

After this the second son went into the forest, and his mother gave him,like the eldest, a cake and a bottle of wine. The little old grey manmet him likewise, and asked him for a piece of cake and a drink of wine.But the second son, too, said sensibly enough: 'What I give you will betaken away from myself; be off!' and he left the little man standing andwent on. His punishment, however, was not delayed; when he had made afew blows at the tree he struck himself in the leg, so that he had to becarried home.

Then Dummling said: 'Father, do let me go and cut wood.' The fatheranswered: 'Your brothers have hurt themselves with it, leave it alone,you do not understand anything about it.' But Dummling begged so longthat at last he said: 'Just go then, you will get wiser by hurtingyourself.' His mother gave him a cake made with water and baked in thecinders, and with it a bottle of sour beer.

When he came to the forest the little old grey man met him likewise,and greeting him, said: 'Give me a piece of your cake and a drink outof your bottle; I am so hungry and thirsty.' Dummling answered: 'I haveonly cinder-cake and sour beer; if that pleases you, we will sitdown and eat.' So they sat down, and when Dummling pulled out hiscinder-cake, it was a fine sweet cake, and the sour beer had become goodwine. So they ate and drank, and after that the little man said: 'Sinceyou have a good heart, and are willing to divide what you have, I willgive you good luck. There stands an old tree, cut it down, and you willfind something at the roots.' Then the little man took leave of him.

Dummling went and cut down the tree, and when it fell there was a goosesitting in the roots with feathers of pure gold. He lifted her up, andtaking her with him, went to an inn where he thought he would stay thenight. Now the host had three daughters, who saw the goose and werecurious to know what such a wonderful bird might be, and would haveliked to have one of its golden feathers.

The eldest thought: 'I shall soon find an opportunity of pulling out afeather,' and as soon as Dummling had gone out she seized the goose bythe wing, but her finger and hand remained sticking fast to it.

The second came soon afterwards, thinking only of how she might get afeather for herself, but she had scarcely touched her sister than shewas held fast.

At last the third also came with the like intent, and the othersscreamed out: 'Keep away; for goodness' sake keep away!' But she didnot understand why she was to keep away. 'The others are there,' shethought, 'I may as well be there too,' and ran to them; but as soon asshe had touched her sister, she remained sticking fast to her. So theyhad to spend the night with the goose.

The next morning Dummling took the goose under his arm and set out,without troubling himself about the three girls who were hanging on toit. They were obliged to run after him continually, now left, now right,wherever his legs took him.

In the middle of the fields the parson met them, and when he saw theprocession he said: 'For shame, you good-for-nothing girls, why are yourunning across the fields after this young man? Is that seemly?' At thesame time he seized the youngest by the hand in order to pull her away,but as soon as he touched her he likewise stuck fast, and was himselfobliged to run behind.

Before long the sexton came by and saw his master, the parson, runningbehind three girls. He was astonished at this and called out: 'Hi!your reverence, whither away so quickly? Do not forget that we have achristening today!' and running after him he took him by the sleeve, butwas also held fast to it.

Whilst the five were trotting thus one behind the other, two labourerscame with their hoes from the fields; the parson called out to themand begged that they would set him and the sexton free. But they hadscarcely touched the sexton when they were held fast, and now there wereseven of them running behind Dummling and the goose.

Soon afterwards he came to a city, where a king ruled who had a daughterwho was so serious that no one could make her laugh. So he had put fortha decree that whosoever should be able to make her laugh should marryher. When Dummling heard this, he went with his goose and all her trainbefore the king's daughter, and as soon as she saw the seven peoplerunning on and on, one behind the other, she began to laugh quiteloudly, and as if she would never stop. Thereupon Dummling asked to haveher for his wife; but the king did not like the son-in-law, and made allmanner of excuses and said he must first produce a man who could drinka cellarful of wine. Dummling thought of the little grey man, who couldcertainly help him; so he went into the forest, and in the same placewhere he had felled the tree, he saw a man sitting, who had a verysorrowful face. Dummling asked him what he was taking to heart sosorely, and he answered: 'I have such a great thirst and cannot quenchit; cold water I cannot stand, a barrel of wine I have just emptied, butthat to me is like a drop on a hot stone!'

'There, I can help you,' said Dummling, 'just come with me and you shallbe satisfied.'

He led him into the king's cellar, and the man bent over the hugebarrels, and drank and drank till his loins hurt, and before the day wasout he had emptied all the barrels. Then Dummling asked once morefor his bride, but the king was vexed that such an ugly fellow, whomeveryone called Dummling, should take away his daughter, and he made anew condition; he must first find a man who could eat a whole mountainof bread. Dummling did not think long, but went straight into theforest, where in the same place there sat a man who was tying up hisbody with a strap, and making an awful face, and saying: 'I have eaten awhole ovenful of rolls, but what good is that when one has such a hungeras I? My stomach remains empty, and I must tie myself up if I am not todie of hunger.'

At this Dummling was glad, and said: 'Get up and come with me; you shalleat yourself full.' He led him to the king's palace where all theflour in the whole Kingdom was collected, and from it he caused a hugemountain of bread to be baked. The man from the forest stood before it,began to eat, and by the end of one day the whole mountain had vanished.Then Dummling for the third time asked for his bride; but the king againsought a way out, and ordered a ship which could sail on land and onwater. 'As soon as you come sailing back in it,' said he, 'you shallhave my daughter for wife.'

Dummling went straight into the forest, and there sat the little greyman to whom he had given his cake. When he heard what Dummling wanted,he said: 'Since you have given me to eat and to drink, I will give youthe ship; and I do all this because you once were kind to me.' Then hegave him the ship which could sail on land and water, and when the kingsaw that, he could no longer prevent him from having his daughter. Thewedding was celebrated, and after the king's death, Dummling inheritedhis kingdom and lived for a long time contentedly with his wife.

[*] Simpleton