golden goose.

When he had gone a bit farther, he met a man who had had a quarrel with
the old woman for a trick she had played him. So, when he saw how hard
she struggled and strove to get free, and how fast she stuck, he thought
he would just pay her off the old grudge, and so he gave her a kick with
his foot.

"If you want to come along, hang on!" called out Tom, and then the old
man had to hop along on one leg, whether he would or not. When he tore
and tugged and tried to get loose--it was still worse for him, for he
all but fell flat on his back every step he took.

In this way they went on a good bit till they had nearly reached the
King's palace.

There they met the King's smith, who was going to the smithy, and had a
great pair of tongs in his hand. Now you must know this smith was a
merry fellow, full of both tricks and pranks, and when he saw this
string come hobbling and limping along, he laughed so that he was almost
bent double. Then he bawled out, "Surely this is a new flock of geese
the Princess is going to have--Ah, here is the gander that toddles in
front. Goosey! goosey! goosey!" he called, and with that he threw his
hands about as though he were scattering corn for the geese.

But the flock never stopped--on it went and all that the goody and the
man did was to look daggers at the smith for making fun of them. Then
the smith went on:

"It would be fine fun to see if I could hold the whole flock, so many as