The Golden Goose

A bedtime story to read aloud, about five minutes, told with the Story Path tiles: the wood, the Golden Egg and the castle on the hill.

Once upon a time there were three brothers. The two eldest thought they were very clever, and the youngest, whom everyone called Simpleton, was kind.

One day the eldest brother went into the wood to chop firewood, with a fine cake and a bottle of wine for his lunch.

On the path he met a little grey old man. “I'm so hungry,” said the little man. “Would you share your cake with me?” “Certainly not,” said the eldest brother, and he went on chopping, and chopped his own thumb instead.

The second brother did the same, and came home with a sore foot. Then it was Simpleton's turn, and all he had was a dry crust and a bottle of sour milk.

“I'm so hungry,” said the little grey man. “You're very welcome,” said Simpleton, “though it isn't much.” But when he unwrapped his crust, it had become a fine cake, and the sour milk was sweet and cold.

“You have a good heart,” said the little man. “Cut down that old tree, and you'll find something at its roots.”

Simpleton chopped down the old tree, and there among its roots lay an egg, golden from top to bottom, gleaming in the moss. As he picked it up it cracked, and out hatched a goose with feathers of pure gold.

Simpleton tucked the goose under his arm and set off to see the world.

That night he stayed at an inn. The innkeeper's three daughters each tried to pluck a golden feather, and each one got stuck fast, one to the goose and the others to each other.

In the morning Simpleton walked on with the goose under his arm, and the three girls stuck behind him in a row, hopping and grumbling.

A parson tried to pull them free, and stuck. The parson's clerk tried to pull the parson, and stuck. Two farmers with their spades tried to pull the clerk, and they stuck too.

So along the road they went, eight of them in a wobbling line behind the golden goose, and everyone who saw them laughed till they cried.

The castle on the hill tile, engraved in oak

Now in the castle at the top of the hill lived a princess who had never laughed. Not once. The king had promised that whoever made her laugh could marry her.

Up the stepping stones came Simpleton with his golden goose, and behind him the three girls, the parson, the clerk and the two farmers, all hopping and tumbling and shouting.

The princess looked out of her window, and her mouth twitched, and then she laughed. She laughed so long and so loud that the whole line came unstuck and fell over in a heap.

So Simpleton married the princess, and the little grey man came to the wedding, and the golden goose sat at the top table and ate cake. The End.

The End

The same story, as a poem

There were once three brothers: two clever, they said,
And the youngest, called Simpleton, kind-hearted instead.
The eldest went off to the wood with an axe,
And a cake and some wine in a bag on his back.

A little grey man said, “Please, share me your cake?”
“Certainly not!” Then the axe slipped. Oh, the ache!
The second, the same: he said no, and limped home.
Then Simpleton went with a crust, all alone.

“I'm hungry,” the little grey man said again.
“Have it all,” Simpleton said, “it's not much, but then…”
And his crust turned to cake, and his milk turned to sweet.
“Cut that tree,” said the man. “You'll find gold at its feet.”

So he chopped down the tree, and there, deep in the moss,
Lay an egg made of gold, with a glimmer and gloss.
It cracked in his hands, and with one little peep,
Out came a gold goose, which he tucked in to keep.

At an inn, three young sisters each wanted a feather,
But each one got stuck: to the goose, and together!
So next morning he walked with his goose down the lane,
And three girls stuck behind him, a wobbling train.

A parson pulled one, and got stuck, then his clerk,
Then two farmers with spades, after very hard work.
So along went the line, all eight in a row,
And whoever saw them laughed, wherever they'd go.

In the castle that stood at the top of the hill
Lived a princess who'd never once laughed, and sat still.
“Make her laugh,” said the king, “and the two of you wed!”
So up came our Simpleton, goose at the head.

And the princess looked down at the wobbling show,
And she giggled, and laughed, till the whole line let go,
And they tumbled in heaps! So the two were soon wed,
And the goose had some cake at the top table, they said.

The story’s set: the first page reading Once upon a time, the wood, the Golden Egg, the castle on the hill and The End, laid loose on a plain cream background

The first page, the wood, the Golden Egg, the castle on the hill and The End

Build this story with these tiles

Lay them on the floor, and the story can go a new way every time.

£59.95The Golden Egg arrives on 8 November. This set is a pre-order.

All the stories › · Our storytelling guide ›

The tiles in this storyThe wood · The Golden Egg · The castle on the hill

More stories to read aloudJack and the Golden Egg · Sleeping Beauty and the Castle on the Hill

Made to order in Wiltshire · posted from 1 December

Handmade wooden toys that feel good to give

Wooden toys that feel good to give

The Golden Goose

The same story, as a poem

Build this story with these tiles