【英】《伊索寓言》第4集：The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs

Once there was a poor farmer who had only one small goose who laid one egg each day for the farmer’s breakfast. One day, the farmer slipped his hand under the goose’s warm feathers and pulled out the egg as usual. That day, the egg was very heavy and a golden color. 

“Someone thinks it is funny to trade my breakfast egg for a gold-painted rock,” the farmer complained. But the egg was pretty, so he decided to take it home just the same.

The next day, the goose laid another golden egg. And on the next day, the goose laid still another. The farmer decided to take the eggs to the village to see if anyone would pay for such pretty things.

In the village, he learned the eggs were not painted rocks. They were pure gold! The farmer sold the three eggs for many dollars and hurried home, a happy man.

The goose continued to lay golden eggs. The farmer was able to repair his shabby house, build a bright new barn, and even fill his farmyard with animals.

Then one day, he looked at the little goose and wondered if she was golden through and through. Surely, if he cut her open, gold would spill out and he wouldn’t have to wait for one egg each day! So the greedy farmer killed the goose and found she was just an ordinary goose. 

“Oh no!” the farmer moaned, “By grabbing for more in my greed, I lost the good that I already had!”