asp her fingers
again, nor even move her hand from the golden goose!

Very soon the second sister came creeping into the room, meaning also
to steal a feather; but no sooner did she touch her sister than she,
too, was unable to draw her hand away.

Lastly came the third, anxious to secure a feather before the goose's
master returned.

"Go away! go away!" screamed her two sisters, but she could not
understand why she should not help herself as well as the others.

So she paid no heed to their cries, but came toward them and stretched
out her hand to the goose.

In doing so she touched her second sister, and then, alas! she too,
was held fast.

They pulled and tugged with might and main, but it was all of no use;
they could not get away, and there they had to remain the whole night.

The next morning Johnny tucked the goose under his arm, and went on
his way, never troubling himself about the three girls hanging on
behind.

Then what a dance he led them: over hedges and ditches, highways and
byways! Wherever he led they were bound to follow. Half way across a
sunny meadow, they met the parson, who was terribly shocked to see the
three girls running after a young man.

"For shame!" he cried angrily, and seized the youngest by the hand to
drag her away.

But no sooner did he touch her than the poor parson was made fast too,
and had to run behind the girls, whether he would or no.

They had scarcely gone half a dozen paces before they met the sexton,
who stared with astonishment to see his master running at the heels of
the three girls.

"Hi! stop, your reverence," he cried. "You will be late for the
christening."

He seized the parson's sleeve as he ran past him, but the poor sexton
had to join the procession too.

So now there were five of them, and just as they turned a corner the
parson saw two peasants, and called to them to set him and his sexton
free.

They threw down their spades at once and tried to do so, but they too,
stuck fast, and so Johnny had a fine string of seven folk hanging on
to the wing of his golden goose.

On and on they ran, until at length they came into the country of a
powerful King.

This King had an only daughter, who all her life had been so sad that
no one had ever been able to make her laugh. So the King made a decree
that the man who could bring a smile to his daughter's face should
have her for his bride.

When Johnny heard what the King had promised, he at once ma