A MAN once had three sons, the youngest of which was called Smarty, as everyone in the family considered him dumb and naive.

It so happened, however, that the oldest of the brothers went one day to cut wood in the forest. Before he left home, his mother gave him a tasty cake, as well as a bottle of wine so that he would feel neither hungry nor thirsty underway.

When he reached the forest, a gray-haired dwarf approached him, who told him: "Give me a piece of the cake and some of your wine, as I am very hungry and thirsty". The cunning son then replied, however: "If I give you my cake and wine, I will have nothing for myself". And so, he left.

A few meters down the road he found a tree and took his axe to cut it. As the trunk fell, however, it hit him on his hand and injured him. He went straight back home to tie it, bringing no wood along.

A few hours later the second son took the same road, and his mother gave him, just like she gave the older one, a piece of cake and a bottle of wine. When the second son found the gray-haired dwarf, he told him: "I will give you neither cake nor wine, as I keep them for myself". The same thing happened to him underway, however, as the trunk of the tree that he cut fell on his foot and injured him. So, he went back home to tie it.

Smarty then told his father: "Father let me be the one to bring the firewood back home today". His father then replied: "Your brothers got injured and you're the least smart of all, so it's certain you'll get hurt. I won't let you go". Yet Smarty begged him until he finally gave in. "Go, and I hope you become wiser after you get hurt", he told him. His mother gave him neither cake nor wine, however, only dry bread and beer, leftovers from the previous day. So, he went to the woods.

When he found himself there, the gray-haired dwarf greeted him: "Give me a piece of your cake and some of your wine, as I am very hungry and thirsty". Smarty then replied: "I have neither cake nor wine to give you, only dry beer and bread. I would be pleased to share them with you, however, and keep you company while you eat". And so, they sat and ate, but neither the bread nor the beer seemed dry. "As you have a welcoming heart", the dwarf told him, "I will tell you were to find your luck. Towards the end of the woods an old tree can be found, on the roots of which a goose with golden feathers rests. Take care of her, but don't sacrifice her feathers for anything less than what a true Prince deserves". And with those words he disappeared in the woods.

Smarty went to the old tree, then took out his axe and cut it from the root. He there found a goose with three golden feathers which he took along with him and kept wandering in the woods until night fell and he had to find an inn to rest.

There he found a banker, who told him: "If your goose's feathers are indeed golden, let me put at least one of them on a scale. On the other hand of the scale I will put exactly as many golden coins as needed to balance the feather out."

Smarty declined to give him the feather however, as the pockets in his pants were full of holes and he couldn't carry any coins. A couple of hours later a poet spoke to him: "If words are gold as they say, and if you give to me one single feather from your goose, I will turn it into a pen and write the most beautiful poem to give to you. I will keep the golden feather as a reward".

For a second time Smarty declined as everybody in his family considered him dumb and believed he had written the poem by himself. The last one to speak to him was a clown: "So many times I have made people smile by tickling them with a feather. If you give me one of those golden feathers, I can teach you how to make them smile as well".

And so for a third time Smarty declined, as everyone in his family considered him dumb. A wizard then was the last to speak to him, who told him: "Go to the Palace and ask for the Princess' hand. There you will find a way to make use of the golden feathers".

So, the next morning Smarty took the golden goose and headed to the King's Castle. When he appeared in front of him and asked for the Princess' hand, the King told him: "Your goose might be worth a fortune, but my daughter is sad and I don't want to force her to marry anyone. You must therefore win her heart with your worth".

He then plucked out the first feather from the goose and went to meet the Princess. When he met her and realized she was sad, he took out the feather and started tickling her. After she burst into laughter, she told him: "Thank you good man, as you made me laugh. But to make me fall in love with you, you first have to win my heart".

Smarty then plucked out the second feather and after dipping it in ink, he wrote a beautiful poem. When he finished it, he presented it to the Princess. She told him: "I'm moved by your poem, but to marry someone I want him to ride over with a golden carriage and pick me up from the Palace".

Smarty then plucked the third feather and let the goose free to go. With it he went to the market and bought a golden carriage, which was drawn by ten beautiful horses. Just before midnight he presented himself to the Princess, who fell in love with him and wanted to marry him.

The King was so happy that his daughter had forgotten her troubles that he immediately ordered his servants to organize the most beautiful wedding in the history of the Kingdom. And so, they married and lived together till their last days.