One day, a kind boy called Dummling went to the forest to collect wood. There, he met a strange man who begged him for food. Dummling shared his food with the old man. Then the man asked him to help him cut a tree. Dummling obediently cut the tree and to his surprise found a magical golden goose inside it. The man gave him the goose as a repayment for his help. Dummling returned home happily.
On his way, he met a beautiful princess and fell in love with her. “If you drink all the wine in my cellar, you may marry her,” said the king. Dummling went to the strange man in the forest for help. That night, the man went to the cellar and secretly drank all the wine. Then the king said, “I want you to find a ship that can sail both on land and water.” Once again the man helped Dummling build such a ship. At last the king had to agree to marry the princess and Dummling.