stuck fast. And lastly came the third
daughter with the same object. At this the others cried out, "Keep off,
for goodness' sake, keep off!" But she, not understanding why they told
her to keep away, thought to herself, "If they go to the goose, why
should not I?" She sprang forward, but as she touched her sister she too
stuck fast, and pull as she might she could not get away; and thus they
had all to pass the night beside the goose.

The next morning the Simpleton took the goose under his arm and went on
his way, without troubling himself at all about the three girls who were
hanging to the bird. There they went, always running behind him, now to
the right, now to the left, whichever way he chose to go. In the middle
of the fields they met the parson, and when he saw the procession he
called out, "Shame on you, you naughty girls, why do you run after a young
fellow in this way? Come, leave go!" With this he caught the youngest by
the hand, and tried to pull her back, but when he touched her he found he
could not get away, and he too must needs run behind. Then the sexton came
along, and saw the parson following on the heels of the three girls. This
so astonished him that he called out, "Hi! Sir Parson, whither away so
fast? Do you forget that today we have a christening?" and ran after him,
and caught him by the coat, but he too remained sticking fast.

As the five now ran on, one behind the other, two labourers who were
returning from the field with their tools, came along. The parson called
out to them and begged that they would set him and the sexton free. No
sooner had they touched the sexton, than they too had to hang on, and now
there were seven running after the Simpleton and the goose.

In this way they came to a city where a King reigned who had an only
daughter, who was so serious that no one could make her laugh. Therefore
he had announced that whoever should make her laugh should have her for
his wife. When the Simpleton heard this he went with his goose and his
train before the Princess, and when she saw the seven people all running
behind each other, she began to laugh, and she laughed and laughed till it
seemed as though she could never stop. Thereupon the Simpleton demanded
her for his wife, but the King was not pleased at the thought of such a
son-in-law, and he made all kinds of objections. He told the Simpleton
that he must first bring him a man who could drink off a whole cellarful
of wine. At onc