Stories for Children: The Goose That Laid Golden Eggs

In this episode of stories for children, let’s read the much loved story titled ‘the goose that laid the golden eggs’.

Once upon a time, there lived a farmer named Timpu. One day, on his way back home, he saw the most beautiful goose. He had never seen such a goose before, and neither had his wife. So, he brought the goose back home with him. His wife was delighted to see the goose too. And, they decided to keep the goose. 

The next morning, just before leaving for the farm, Timpu went near the goose’s nest to say goodbye to the goose. As he turned away, he thought he saw something shiny. He decided to take a closer look. To his surprise, he saw a beautiful golden egg. His joy knew no bounds. He then called his wife. 

Timpu and his wife then decided to sell this golden egg in the market along with other farm products like grains, vegetables and so on. They thought that the money they would receive from selling this golden egg would be enough to live a comfortable life. 

As discussed, Timpu and his wife sold the golden egg in the market for a lot of money. They were able to repair their house. They both thanked the goose and got on with their day. The next morning, the same thing happened. They found one more golden egg among other plain eggs. Timpu and his wife were thrilled. They sold this golden egg too in the market and got handsome money for it. This became a regular thing, and soon Timpu and his wife became rich. Now they had lots of money to spare for fancy things. 

One afternoon, while resting on his comfortable bed, Timpu thought, ‘The goose gives one golden egg every day. It sells for so much more than a regular egg. Wouldn’t it be great if I could get all the golden eggs at once? It would make me richer and happier than I am right now’.

The next day, Timpu and his wife took the goose to the veterinarian to see if the veterinarian can find golden eggs inside the goose. The veterinarian warned them that this surgery could cost the goose dearly. Timpu and his wife had become greedy and wanted to get richer. So, they asked the veterinarian to perform the surgery. As they were warned by the veterinarian, the goose did not survive the procedure and passed away. 

With the precious goose gone and no more golden eggs, Timpu and his wife couldn’t make any more quick money. Gradually, they went back to how they were living before they found the goose. It was then that they realised that greed had led them to losing everything. 

Creative writing activity

• Write an alternate ending to the story. What do you think would have happened if a kind, content person had found the golden goose? 

Moral of the goose that laid golden eggs

• ‘He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have’.― Socrates
• Greediness causes more trouble than it cures. 
• Those who are greedy often lose it all because they are always seeking more.

Thinking questions 

• What was the last time you were unhappy about what you had and wanted more of it? For example, toys or ice cream
• What is the difference between being greedy to get something you want and working hard to get something you want? Give two reasons. 

Tips to become a grateful person

• Volunteer whenever possible. It will help you make a difference in the world and be grateful for what you have. 
• Look at the positive side of things. Try to think of how to make the most of the current situation. For example, if you don’t get a toy you want, it can be a great chance to figure out what else you can do with the ones you already have.
• Say thank you and say it like you mean it. One way of doing this is to specify what you are thankful for. Think of all the reasons you have to be thankful for a particular object. 

Share your stories in the comments section. We would love to read them. 

You may read other stories for children here.