The Golden Goose

A man has three sons. The youngest is considered simple and worthless by his family. One day, the youngest ventures into the forest with only coarse bread and thin beer. He encounters an old man—an enchanted being—who asks to share his meager meal. The boy, despite his poverty, willingly divides his food equally with the stranger. The old man, pleased by the boy's generosity despite hardship, reveals a tree. Buried beneath its roots is a golden goose with feathers of pure gold. The boy takes the goose and discovers its strange power: anyone who touches it becomes stuck fast, unable to let go. As he travels, people touch the goose to steal feathers, only to become fixed to it. A chain of people—servants, merchants, villagers—ends up stuck together, waddling behind the boy like a procession. The chain reaches a sad princess who has never laughed. At the ridiculous sight, she bursts into laughter. The king, delighted at his daughter's first laugh, promises her hand to whoever caused her joy. The king asks: "What value do you place upon yourself?" The boy answers: "I place no value upon myself, only upon the goodness I can do with what I have." The king, understanding that tithing—giving a portion of one's blessings to others—creates true wealth, grants the boy the princess's hand and half his kingdom. Tithing is not merely the giving of coins but the sharing of one's abundance, no matter how small. The boy's willingness to give, even when poor, created blessings beyond measure.