was about to possess. He found the marked trees and steps, and proceeding onwards he tried to find the exact spot. After a short search he found the place where the church tower appeared to his left; but then he could not see the castle turret before him; when, at last, after changing his position many times, he thought he could see it, but the mountain crag was not to be seen. The whole day long he tried to discover the situation of the spot, but whenever one or even two of the objects appeared in the right position, the third or even the valley was then missing; and thus he puzzled his brain until night approached, when he was obliged to return home. For years he was seen to frequent the place and remain there till nightfall, but he could never discover all the marks in the right position at the same time, and consequently he remained as poor as at first, and a great deal more miserable.

THERE was a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was called Dummling (Simpleton), and was on all occasions mocked and ill treated and neglected by the whole family. It happened that the eldest one day wished to go into the wood to cut fuel; and his mother gave him a piece of meat and a bottle of wine to take with him for refreshment. As he went into the wood, a little old man bid him good day, and said, "Give me a little piece of meat from your plate, and a little wine out of your bottle; I am so hungry and thirsty." But this clever young man said, "If I should give you my

meat and wine, I should not have enough left for myself-so be off about your business;" and away he went. He soon began to cut down a tree; but he had not worked long before he missed his aim, and cut himself in the arm, and was forced to go home to have the wound dressed.

Next went out the second son to work; and his mother gave him, too, some meat and a bottle of wine. And the same little old man met him also, and asked him for a part of his good cheer. But he, too, thought himself vastly clever, and said, "Whatever I give to you, I shall lose myself; so be off!" The little man departed, but the youth had his punishment; the second stroke that he aimed against a tree, fell on his leg; so that he, too, was forced to go home and get his wound dressed.

Then Dummling said, "Father, I should like to go and cut wood too." But his father said, "Your brothers have both lamed themselves; you had better stay at home, for you are not fit for the business." But Dummling was very pressing; and at last his father said, "Go then, go; you will be wiser when you have smarted for your folly." And his mother gave him only some coarse bread, and a bottle of sour beer: but when he went into the wood, he met the little old man, who said, "Give me something to eat and drink, for I am very hungry and thirsty." Dummling said, "I have only dry bread and sour beer; if you don't mind such poor fare, we will sit down and eat it together." So they sat down; and when the lad pulled out his bread, behold it was turned into a fine pasty, and his sour beer was changed into excellent wine. They ate and drank heartily; and when they had done, the little man said, “As you have such a kind heart, and have been willing to share what you had with me, I will put you in

the way of good fortune There stands an old tree; cut it down, and you will find something at the roots." Then he took his leave, and went his way.

Dummling set to work, and cut down the tree; and when it fell, he found under it a goose with feathers of pure gold. He took it up, and went on to an inn, where he intended to sleep for the night. The landlord had three daughters; and when they saw the goose, they were very eager to know about this wonderful bird, and to pluck one of the feathers out of its tail. At last the eldest said, "I must and will have a feather." So she waited till Dummling went out, and then seized the goose by the wings; but neither hand nor finger could she get away again. Then in came the second sister, and meant to take a feather, too; but the moment she touched her sister, she became fastened to her. At last came the third, and wanted a feather; but the other two cried out, "Keep away! for pity's sake, keep away!" However, she did not understand what they meant. "If they are there," thought she, "I may be there too." So she ran up to them; but the moment she touched her sisters she stuck fast to them. And so they were obliged to stop with the goose all night.

The next morning Dummling carried off the goose under his arm; and gave himself no trouble about the three girls, but went out with them sticking fast behind; and wherever he went, they, too, were forced to follow, now here now there, whether they would or no.

In the middle of a field the parson met them; and when he saw the strange procession, he called out, "For shame, you bold girls, to run after the young man in that way over the fields! Is that proper behaviour?" He then took hold of the

youngest by the hand to pull her away; but as soon as he touched her he, too, hung fast, and was obliged to follow in the train. Presently up came the clerk; and when he saw his master, the parson, running after the three girls, he wondered greatly, and shouted out, "Stop! stop! your reverence! whither so fast? There is a christening to-day." Then he ran up, and took hold of him by the sleeve, and there he stuck fast, too. As the five were thus trudging along, one after another, they met two labourers with their mattocks coming from the field; and the parson cried out to them to set them free. But scarcely had they touched the clerk, when they, too, fell into the ranks, and so made seven, all running after Dummling and his golden goose.

At last they arrived at a city, where reigned a king who had an only daughter. The princess was of so grave and serious a turn of mind that no one could make her laugh; and the king had made a proclamation, that whoever could make her laugh should have her for his wife. When the young

man heard this, he went to her with his goose and all its train; and as soon as she saw the seven all hanging together, and treading on each other's heels, she burst into such a fit of laughter as if she would never give over. Then Dummling claimed her for his wife, and they were immediately married, and led a long and happy life together.