The lad went on into the forest, as the gray man had told him, and took the first turn to the left, and there sure enough was a hollow oak tree. The lad could tell it was hollow from the sound it made when his ax struck it.
John set to work, and chopped so hard the splinters flew.
After awhile he cut through it so that the tree fell, and there, sitting in the hollow, was a goose, with eyes like diamonds, and every feather of pure gold.
When John saw the goose he could not wonder enough. He took it up under his arm and off he set for home, for there was no more chopping for him that day.
But if the goose shone like gold it weighed like lead. The farther John went the wearier he grew. After awhile he came to an inn, just outside of the city where the King lived. There the simpleton sat him down to rest. He pulled a feather from the golden goose, and gave it to the landlord and bade him bring him food and drink, and with such payment as that it was the very best that the landlord sat before him you may be sure.
While the simpleton ate and drank the landlord’s wife and daughter watched him from a window.
“Oh, if we only had a second feather,” sighed the daughter.
“Oh, if we only had!” sighed the mother.
Then the two agreed between them that when the simpleton had finished eating and drinking, the daughter should creep up behind him and pluck another feather from the bird.
Presently John could eat and drink no more. He rose up and tucked the golden goose under his arm, and off he set.