Page 19 - The Golden Goose

man standing there, he went off. The punishment
followed; as he was chopping away at the tree, he
hit himself in the leg so severely 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
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