In the Brothers Grimm tale “The Golden Goose,” Dummling carries a golden goose that makes people follow him.
Dummling, the youngest and supposedly least capable son, receives the unusual bird after showing kindness to a small old man. The goose has feathers of solid gold. When a person tries to pluck one, that person becomes stuck to it; anyone who touches the first person is stuck as well.
A growing chain of people follows Dummling into town, producing a comic procession. The sight makes the previously gloomy princess laugh, which helps Dummling satisfy the king’s condition and eventually marry her.
The story is also called “The Golden Goose” or “The Golden Goose Tale” in English translations. Dummling is a recurring type in Grimm stories: the youngest child is dismissed by others but succeeds because of generosity, patience, or good fortune rather than status.