Once, there were three brothers—Jacob, John and Peter. Jacob and John were clever and selfish. Peter, who was slightly foolish, was hard-working. The others ill-treated him. One morning, Jacob went to the woods to cut down a tree. His mother gave him cake and milk. Later, he sat down for his meal. He found a little old man standing before him. “Son, I’m hungry,” said the old man, “Will you give me something to eat?”
But Jacob turned him away rudely. The old man went away. When Jacob began to chop the tree again, he fell on the axe, cutting his arm badly. Howling, he ran back home.
The next morning, John was sent into the woods and his mother gave him too cake and milk. When he sat down to eat the food, the same little old man appeared. But John angrily refused to share the food. When he began to cut down the tree, his axe fell on his leg, cutting him badly. His neighbours carried him back home.
The next day, when Peter came to chop the tree, his mother gave him stale bread and water. He shared it happily with the little old man. The old man was pleased and he told Peter a secret, “Inside the hollow of the tree, you will find a creature. Carry it, and if anyone touches it, cry out—Hold fast!”
Peter found a goose with golden feathers in the hollow. He went off to present it to the King.
On the way, an innkeeper’s daughter thought she would pluck some feathers, but as soon as Peter said, “Hold fast!” she was stuck! He walked along with the goose under his arm, dragging the girl along. The stable boy saw her and ran to help her. But he too got stuck.
A circus clown was so curious that he ran to grab the stable boy and got caught too. The Mayor and his wife saw the strange sight and when they tried to help, they too were stuck!
The Princess passed along the road in her carriage, and seeing the procession, she burst out laughing. She never smiled and the sad King had promised her hand in marriage to anyone who could make her laugh.
The King didn’t wish her to marry a poor woodcutter. But when the Princess touched the goose, Peter said, “Hold fast!” And he refused to let her go till the King agreed to keep his promise. And so, Peter and the Princess were married and lived happily thereafter.