Once there was a man who had three sons. The youngest was called Blockhead, and the other two always made fun of him and mocked him. The oldest son went one day into the forest to cut wood. Before he left, his mother gave him a fine pancake and a bottle of wine. When he reached the forest, he met a little gray-haired man, who said, “How do you do? Won’t you give me a piece of your cake, and a drink of your wine? I am very hungry and thirsty.”
The oldest son replied, “Why do you expect me to give you my cake and my wine, and have none for myself? Go away.” And he walked on. When he began to chop a tree, his ax slipped, and he cut his arm instead of the wood, so he had to go home.
The second son then went to the forest. He, too, took a fine pancake and a bottle of wine, and he, too, met the little white-haired man, who made the same request. But the second son, like the oldest, answered rudely, and went on his way. When the second son began to chop the tree, the ax slipped and cut his leg instead of the wood, so he, too, had to go home.
Then Blockhead said, “Father, let me go out and cut wood.”
The father replied, “See what harm has come to your brothers. No, you understand nothing about woodcutting. Stay at home.”
But the youngest begged so hard that at last the father said, “Well, go; learn from experience.”
His mother gave him only a cake baked in the ashes, and mixed with water instead of with eggs, and a bottle of sour beer. When he reached the forest, he met the little gray-haired man, who greeted him and said, “Give me a piece of your cake, and a swallow or two of your wine.”
Blockhead replied, “Sit down. I am afraid that I have only a cake made with water and baked in the ashes, and sour beer, but, if you like, we will eat and drink together.”
So they sat down together, and as Blockhead brought out his cake, it turned into an egg pancake, like his brothers’, and the sour beer turned into good wine. After they had eaten the cake, and drunk the wine, the little man said, “Because you have a kind heart, and have shared your meal with me, I will help you. Go to that tree over there, cut it down, and you will find something worth having in the trunk.”
Blockhead went and cut down the tree, and as it fell, a goose flew out of the tree, with feathers of pure gold. He picked it up and went to an inn to pass the night. The landlord of the inn had three daughters. They wondered when they saw the golden goose, and each longed to have one of its feathers. The oldest only waited for Blockhead to turn his back; then she caught hold of the bird by its wings, but her fingers stuck fast, so that she could not get away. A moment later, the second sister came in , and wanted to try to take a feather. But she no sooner touched her sister than she stuck fast to her. Then the third sister came in. Though they called out to her, she ran up to them, and she, too, stuck fast. So all three of them had to pass the night with the goose.
The next morning, Blockhead took up his goose and left, and the three girls had to follow. In the middle of the fields, the minister of the church saw them. He cried out to the girls: “How bold you are to run after a young man! Go home, all of you!” And he touched the youngest on the shoulder as he spoke, to pull her back. Then he, too, stuck fast, and could not free himself, but had to run along with the others.
In a few minutes, they met the sexton of the church, who looked astonished to see the parson running after the girls. “Where are you going so fast?” he cried. “Don’t forget that there is a christening today.” Then he ran up, and caught the parson by the sleeve, to pull him back, and he, too, stuck fast, and had to run along with the others.
So Blockhead, with the goose under his arm, went through the fields, followed by the three daughters of the landlord, and the parson, and the sexton. Soon two labourers came from the hayfield. The parson called out to them to set him and the sexton free. But as soon as they touched the sexton, they, too, stuck fast. And now seven people followed the goose.
They came to a city where a king ruled who had such a sad and serious daughter that she never laughed. So he had declared: “Whoever makes my daughter laugh, shall marry her.” Now when Blockhead heard this, he went before the princess with the seven people following him and his goose. And when the princess saw them, she laughed so hard and so long that she could scarcely stop. So Blockhead went to the king, and demanded his daughter.
The king did not want this young man for his son-in-law, so he said, “You must first bring a man who can drink all the wine in my cellar.” Blockhead thought of his friend, the little grey old man, and he went to that spot in the forest where he had cut down the tree. There he saw the old man, looking very sad.
“What is the matter?” said Blockhead.
“I have such a terrible thirst,” answered the old man, “nothing quenches it. I cannot endure water, and I have emptied a whole barrel of wine, but it seemed like nothing. I shall die of thirst.”
“I can help you,” said Blockhead. And he led him to the king’s cellar. There the little old man drank and drank. By the end of the day, he had drunk all the wine in the king’s cellar.
Then Blockhead went once more to the king, and demanded his daughter. The king still did not want him for a son-in-law, and everyone called him stupid. So he said, “You must first bring a man who can eat up a mountain of bread.” Again, Blockhead went to the forest. And again he found his friend, looking very sad.
“I am so hungry,” he cried, “that I cannot get enough to eat, I have eaten all the bread in the oven, but it seemed like nothing. I shall die of hunger.”
“I can help you,” said Blockhead. And he led him to the king’s court, where there was a whole mountain of bread. There the little old man ate and ate. By the end of the day, he had eaten all the bread.
A third time Blockhead demanded the princess of the king. And a third time the king refused. This time he said, “You must first bring a ship that can sail on dry land as well as on the sea.”
A third time Blockhead went to the forest. And a third time he found the little old man, who said, “I have drunk for you, and I have eaten for you, and now I will give you a ship that can sail on dry land as well as on water. All these things I have done because you were kind to me.”
So Blockhead sailed up to the court in the wonderful ship; and the king could no longer refuse him. There was a splendid wedding, and after the king’s death the simple woodcutter ruled over the whole kingdom. (From Grimm’s Fairy Tales)
