gh left for me;" and he went on his way. He soon
began to chop down a tree; but he had not worked long before he missed
his stroke, and cut himself, and was obliged to go home and have the
wound bound up. Now, it was the little old man who caused him this
mischief.

Next the second son went out to work; and his mother gave him, too, a
meat pie and a bottle of wine. And the same little old man encountered
him also, and begged him for something to eat and drink. But he, too,
thought himself extremely clever, and said, "Whatever you get, I shall
be without; so go your way!" The little man made sure that he should
have his reward; and the second stroke that he struck at a tree, hit him
on the leg, so that he too was compelled to go home.

Then Dummerly said, "Father, I should like to go and cut fuel too." But
his father replied, "Your brothers have both maimed themselves; you had
better stop at home, for you know nothing of the job." But Dummerly was
very urgent; and at last his father said, "Go your way; you will be
wiser when you have suffered for your foolishness." And his mother gave
him only some dry bread, and a bottle of sour ale; but when he went into
the forest, he met the little old man, who said, "Give me some meat and
drink, for I am very hungry and thirsty." Dummerly said, "I have nothing
but dry bread and sour beer; if that will do for you, we will sit down
and eat it together." So they sat down, and when the lad took out his
bread, behold it was turned into a splendid meat pie, and his sour beer
became delicious wine! They ate and drank heartily, and when they had
finished, the little man said, "As you have a kind heart, and have been
willing to share everything with me I will bring good to you. There
stands an old tree; chop it down, and you will find something at the
root." Then he took his leave and went his way.

Dummerly set to work, and cut down the tree; and when it fell, he
discovered in a hollow under the roots a goose with plumage of pure
gold. He took it up, and went on to an inn, where he proposed sleep for
the night. The landlord had three daughters, and when they saw the
goose, they were very curious to find out what this wonderful bird could
be, and wished very much 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 his back was turned, and then caught hold of the goose by the wing;
but to her great surprise, there she s