In the Brothers Grimm tale “The Golden Goose,” the youngest son is called Simpleton.
The story presents three sons, with the youngest treated as foolish and given the nickname Simpleton. Unlike his older brothers, he shares his food with a small grey-haired man he meets in the forest. As a reward for his kindness, the man tells him where to find a golden goose.
People who try to take feathers or gold from the goose become stuck to it. A growing procession follows Simpleton through the countryside, and the unusual sight helps him win the attention of a princess who has never laughed. The king offers the princess to the man who can make her laugh, linking the magical goose to the tale’s marriage plot.
Translations vary in how they render the youngest son’s name, but “Simpleton” is the standard English nickname associated with the Grimm story. The character’s success comes from generosity rather than cleverness.