The Goose That Laid Golden Eggs

A poor farmer named Bram lived in a small cottage with his wife. They worked hard, but money was always tight.

One morning, Bram went to the goose pen and found something shining beneath his goose.

It was an egg—made of gold.

Bram’s hands shook as he picked it up. He ran to the market and sold it for more money than he had ever seen.

“That was luck,” his wife said.

But the next morning, there was another golden egg.

And the next.

Soon Bram and his wife had warm clothes, a sturdy roof, and plenty of food.

At first, Bram felt thankful.

But as days passed, a new feeling crept in: impatience.

“One egg a day,” Bram muttered. “If the goose can make one golden egg, it must have a whole pile of gold inside. Why wait?”

His wife frowned. “We already have enough. Be grateful.”

But Bram’s thoughts grew louder.

He stared at the goose and imagined chests of gold.

One night, Bram made a decision.

He carried the goose into the barn and, with a trembling hand, he did something terrible.

When he opened the goose, he found… nothing.

No golden eggs.

No treasure.

Only an ordinary goose.

Bram dropped to his knees. “What have I done?”

The next morning, there was no egg.

And the morning after that, there was no egg.

The steady gift was gone forever.

Bram and his wife slowly returned to their old life. They still worked, but now they worked with a heavy sadness.

One day, Bram sat outside and watched the sunrise. He remembered how happy he had been after the first golden egg.

“I had more than enough,” he whispered. “But I wanted everything.”

His wife sat beside him. “We can rebuild,” she said. “But promise me something.”

“What?” Bram asked.

“Promise you will never let greed make your decisions again,” she said.

Bram nodded.

From that day on, Bram learned a lesson more valuable than gold:

A small gift that lasts is better than a big prize that disappears.