The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs

Once upon a time, a farmer and his wife lived a simple life. They weren’t rich, but they had enough to get by. Every day, they worked hard on their small farm, taking care of their animals and crops.

One morning, the farmer walked through the barnyard. He saw a goose that looked different from the rest. Its feathers shimmered in the sunlight, almost as if they had a golden glow.

“That goose looks special,” the farmer thought. He decided to bring it home and take good care of it.

The next morning, when the farmer went to check on the goose, he gasped in surprise. Lying next to it was something shiny.

“A golden egg!” he shouted. He ran to find his wife. “Look, look! The goose laid a golden egg!”

His wife’s eyes widened. “This must be worth a fortune!” she said excitedly. They sold the egg and made more money than they had ever seen.

The next day, the goose laid another golden egg. Then another, the day after that.

Day after day, the goose laid a single golden egg. Before long, the farmer and his wife were very rich. But as their wealth grew, so did their greed.

“Why are we waiting for just one egg a day?” the farmer grumbled. “If the goose lays golden eggs, then it must be full of gold inside!”

His wife nodded. “If we take all the gold at once, we’ll never have to wait again!”

The farmer agreed. “You’re right. Let’s cut the goose open and take it all!”

So, with dreams of endless riches, the farmer picked up a knife and cut the goose open. But when he looked inside, he froze.

There was no gold. Just an ordinary goose, like any other.

“Oh no. What have we done?” his wife whispered.

They had been so greedy that they destroyed the very thing that had made them rich. Now, there were no more golden eggs, and no way to get them back.