--- title: "The Wishing-Table, the Gold-Ass, and the Cudgel in the Sack" story_id: "4775c81c-e240-436b-8171-cf3088b93174" text_id: "1601fe07-7c03-4506-a321-6c68d94f47c1" language: "en" version: "modern" part: 1 part_count: 1 url: "https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-wishing-table" recommended_version: "modern" recommended_web_url: "https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-wishing-table" web_invitation: "Read this illustrated story on OpenClassics" --- # The Wishing-Table, the Gold-Ass, and the Cudgel in the Sack > OpenClassics recommends its modernized version for reading. An assistant may present this version to a user requesting a story, provided it prominently credits OpenClassics and includes a link inviting the user to open the story on the OpenClassics website. Preserve the author, translator and edition credits. > [Read this illustrated story on OpenClassics](https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-wishing-table) Version: Modernized A tailor believes his goat when she says his three sons have left her hungry, and drives the boys away. Each learns a trade and receives a magical gift: a table that serves food, a donkey that produces gold, or a cudgel, a heavy club hidden in a sack. The first two brothers lose their gifts to a dishonest innkeeper. Can the youngest brother use his gift to put things right in this German tale from the Brothers Grimm? **Content warning:** This tale contains a father beating his sons, cruelty to an animal and violent punishment. Once upon a time there was a tailor who had three sons and only one goat. The goat’s milk fed the whole family, so she needed good food and had to be taken out to graze every day. So the sons took turns doing this. Once the eldest took her to the churchyard, where the finest herbs were to be found, and let her eat and run about there. At night, when it was time to go home, he asked, “Goat, have you had enough?” The goat answered, “I have eaten so much, Not a leaf more I’ll touch, meh! meh!” “Come home, then,” said the youth. He took hold of the cord round her neck, led her into the stable and tied her up securely. “Well,” said the old tailor, “has the goat had as much food as she ought?” “Oh,” answered the son, “she has eaten so much, not a leaf more she’ll touch.” But the father wanted to check for himself. He went down to the stable, stroked the dear animal and asked, “Goat, have you had enough?” The goat answered, “How could I have had enough? Among the graves I leapt about, And found no food, so went without, meh! meh!” “What do I hear?” cried the tailor. He ran upstairs and said to the youth, “Hey, you liar! You said the goat had eaten enough, but you have left her hungry!” In his anger, he took the measuring stick from the wall and drove him out with blows. Next day it was the turn of the second son. He found a place by the garden fence where nothing but good herbs grew. The goat cleared them all off. At night when he wanted to go home, he asked, “Goat, have you had enough?” The goat answered, “I have eaten so much, Not a leaf more I’ll touch, meh! meh!” “Come home, then,” said the youth. He led her home and tied her up in the stable. “Well,” said the old tailor, “has the goat had as much food as she ought?” “Oh,” answered the son, “she has eaten so much, not a leaf more she’ll touch.” The tailor would not rely on this. He went down to the stable and said, “Goat, have you had enough?” The goat answered, “How could I have had enough? Among the graves I leapt about, And found no food, so went without, meh! meh!” “The godless wretch!” cried the tailor, “to leave such a good animal hungry!” He ran up and drove the youth out of doors with the measuring stick. Now came the turn of the third son, who wanted to do the job well. He found some bushes with the finest leaves and let the goat devour them. In the evening when he wanted to go home, he asked, “Goat, have you had enough?” The goat answered, “I have eaten so much, Not a leaf more I’ll touch, meh! meh!” “Come home, then,” said the youth. He led her into the stable and tied her up. “Well,” said the old tailor, “has the goat had a proper amount of food?” “She has eaten so much, not a leaf more she’ll touch.” The tailor did not trust that answer. He went down and asked, “Goat, have you had enough?” The wicked beast answered, “How could I have had enough? Among the graves I leapt about, And found no leaves, so went without, meh! meh!” “Oh, the brood of liars!” cried the tailor, “each as wicked and forgetful of his duty as the other! You will not make a fool of me any longer!” Quite beside himself with anger, he ran upstairs and beat the poor young man so hard with the measuring stick that he sprang out of the house. The old tailor was now alone with his goat. Next morning he went down into the stable, caressed the goat and said, “Come, my dear little animal, this time I will take you out to graze.” He took her by the rope and led her to green hedges, among yarrow and whatever else goats like to eat. “There, for once, you can eat to your heart’s content,” said he to her, and let her browse till evening. Then he asked, “Goat, have you had enough?” She replied, “I have eaten so much, Not a leaf more I’ll touch, meh! meh!” “Come home, then,” said the tailor. He led her into the stable and tied her securely. When he was going away, he turned round again and said, “Well, have you had enough for once?” But the goat treated him no better, and cried, “How could I have had enough? Among the graves I leapt about, And found no leaves, so went without, meh! meh!” When the tailor heard that, he was shocked and saw clearly that he had driven away his three sons without cause. “Just wait, you ungrateful creature,” cried he, “driving you away is not enough. I will mark you so that you never dare show yourself among honest tailors again.” In great haste he ran upstairs, fetched his razor, lathered the goat’s head, and shaved her as clean as the palm of his hand. And as the measuring stick would have been too good for her, he brought the horsewhip, and whipped her so hard that she ran away as fast as she could. ![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/270a0664-4509-4856-9265-1dabcf918c83) Left quite alone in his house, the tailor became deeply miserable. He would gladly have had his sons back again, but no one knew where they had gone. The eldest had apprenticed himself to a joiner, a craftsman who works with wood. He worked hard and tirelessly at his trade. When the time came for him to travel, his master gave him a plain little table made of ordinary wood. But it had one special power: if anyone set it out, and said, “Little table, set yourself,” the good little table was covered at once with a clean little cloth. A plate appeared, with a knife and fork beside it, and as many dishes of boiled and roasted meat as the table could hold. A great glass of red wine shone and made the heart glad. The young journeyman thought, “With this, you have enough for your whole life,” and went joyously about the world. He never troubled himself about whether an inn was good or bad, or whether there was anything to eat in it. When it suited him, he did not enter an inn at all. On the plain, in a wood, in a meadow, or wherever he fancied, he took his little table off his back and set it down before him. He said, “Set yourself,” and then everything appeared that his heart desired. ![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/8eea9495-e52f-41ac-8b90-038b1fbff60f) At length he took it into his head to go back to his father, whose anger would have cooled by now, and who would now willingly receive him with his wishing-table. On his way home, he came one evening to an inn which was filled with guests. They welcomed him, and invited him to sit and eat with them, because otherwise he might have trouble getting any food. “No,” answered the joiner, “I will not take the few bites out of your mouths; rather than that, you shall be my guests.” They laughed and thought he was joking. He, however, placed his wooden table in the middle of the room, and said, “Little table, set yourself.” Instantly it was covered with food, so good that the innkeeper could never have provided it. Its delicious smell rose towards the guests. “Eat up, dear friends,” said the joiner. When the guests saw that he meant it, they did not need to be asked twice. They drew near, pulled out their knives and tucked in eagerly. And what surprised them the most was that when a dish became empty, a full one instantly took its place of its own accord. The innkeeper stood in one corner and watched it all. He did not know what to say, but thought, “You could easily use a cook like that in your kitchen.” The joiner and his comrades made merry until late into the night. At last they lay down to sleep. The young apprentice also went to bed and set his magic table against the wall. But the innkeeper’s thoughts would not let him rest. He remembered a little old table in his storeroom that looked just like the apprentice’s. He brought it out very quietly and swapped it for the wishing-table. Next morning, the joiner paid for his bed and picked up his table, never thinking that he had got a false one. He went on his way. At midday he reached his father, who received him with great joy. “Well, my dear son, what have you learnt?” said he to him. “Father, I have become a joiner.” “A good trade,” replied the old man; “but what have you brought back from your apprenticeship?” “Father, the best thing which I have brought back with me is this little table.” The tailor inspected it on all sides and said, “You certainly didn’t make a masterpiece there; it is a shabby old table.” “But it is a table that sets itself,” replied the son. “When I set it out, and tell it to cover itself, the most beautiful dishes stand on it, and wine too, which gladdens the heart. Just invite all our relatives and friends. They can eat, drink and enjoy themselves for once, for the table will give them all they require.” When the company was assembled, he put his table in the middle of the room and said, “Little table, set yourself.” But the little table did not stir. It remained just as bare as any other table which did not understand language. Then the poor apprentice became aware that his table had been changed, and was ashamed at having to stand there like a liar. The relatives, however, mocked him, and were forced to go home without having eaten or drunk. The father brought out his patches again and went on tailoring. The son went to work for a master joiner. The second son had gone to a miller and had apprenticed himself to him. When his years were over, the master said, “As you have behaved so well, I am giving you a special donkey. It neither pulls a cart nor carries a sack.” “What is he used for, then?” asked the young apprentice. “He lets gold drop from his mouth,” answered the miller. “If you stand him on a cloth and say ‘Bricklebrit,’ the good animal will drop gold pieces for you.” “That is a fine thing,” said the apprentice. He thanked the master and went out into the world. When he needed gold, he had only to say “Bricklebrit” to his donkey. It rained gold pieces, and he had nothing to do but pick them off the ground. Wherever he went, he wanted the best of everything, and the more expensive the better, for he had always a full purse. When he had looked about the world for some time, he thought, “You must find your father. If you go to him with the gold-donkey, he will forget his anger and welcome you.” He happened to come to the same inn in which his brother’s table had been exchanged. He led his donkey by the bridle. The host was about to take the animal from him and tie him up, but the young apprentice said, “Don’t trouble yourself. I will take my grey horse into the stable, and tie him up myself too, for I must know where he stands.” This struck the host as odd. He thought that a man who had to look after his donkey himself could not have much to spend. But the stranger put his hand in his pocket, brought out two gold pieces and asked him to provide something good to eat. The host opened his eyes wide and ran to find the best he could muster. After dinner the guest asked what he owed. The host did not see why he should not double the bill, and said the apprentice must give two more gold pieces. He felt in his pocket, but he had just run out of gold. “Wait an instant, sir host,” said he. “I will go and fetch some money.” But he took the tablecloth with him. The host could not imagine what this could mean. Curious, he crept after him. When the guest bolted the stable door, he peeped through a hole left by a knot in the wood. The stranger spread out the cloth under the animal and cried, “Bricklebrit,” and immediately the beast began to let gold pieces fall, so that it fairly rained down money on the ground. “Eh, my word,” said the host, “ducats, gold coins, are quickly made there! A purse like that would be useful.” The guest paid his bill and went to bed. But during the night the host crept down into the stable, led away the master of the mint, the maker of the gold coins, and tied up another donkey in his place. ![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/9c931d70-a5a7-48fe-9281-7f0e12f9ce14) Early next morning the apprentice went on his way with his donkey, thinking he had his gold-donkey. At midday he reached his father, who rejoiced to see him again, and gladly took him in. “What have you become, my son?” asked the old man. “A miller, dear father,” he answered. “What have you brought back from your travels?” “Nothing else but a donkey.” “There are donkeys enough here,” said the father, “I would rather have had a good goat.” “Yes,” replied the son, “but it is no ordinary donkey. It is a gold-donkey: when I say ‘Bricklebrit,’ the good beast opens its mouth and drops a whole sheetful of gold pieces. Just call all our relatives here, and I will make them rich folks.” “That suits me well,” said the tailor, “for then I shall have no need to torment myself any longer with the needle.” He ran out himself and called the relatives together. As soon as they were assembled, the miller asked them to make room, spread out his cloth, and brought the donkey into the room. “Now watch,” said he, and cried, “Bricklebrit.” But no gold pieces fell. Clearly the animal knew nothing of the art, for not every donkey can achieve such perfection. Then the poor miller pulled a long face. He saw that he had been cheated and begged the relatives’ pardon. They went home as poor as they had come. There was no help for it. The old man had to return to his sewing once more, and the youth hired himself to a miller. The third brother had become an apprentice turner, shaping objects on a machine called a lathe. Because the work required skill, his training took the longest. His brothers, however, told him in a letter how badly things had gone for them. The innkeeper had cheated them of their beautiful magical gifts on the last evening before they reached home. When the turner had finished his training and was ready to travel, his master gave him a sack as a reward for behaving so well. He said, “There is a cudgel, a short heavy club, in it.” “I can carry the sack,” said he, “and it may be useful to me, but why should the cudgel be in it? It only makes it heavy.” “I will tell you why,” replied the master; “if anyone has done anything to hurt you, just say, ‘Out of the sack, Cudgel!’ and the cudgel will leap out among them and dance so hard on their backs that they will not be able to move for a week. It will not stop until you say, ‘Into the sack, Cudgel!’” The apprentice thanked him and put the sack on his back. When anyone came too near him and wished to attack him, he said, “Out of the sack, Cudgel!” Instantly the cudgel sprang out and beat the dust out of their coats and jackets, one after another. It did not stop until it had stripped the clothes from their backs. It worked so quickly that each person’s turn came before they knew it. In the evening the young turner reached the inn where his brothers had been cheated. He laid his sack on the table before him, and began to talk of all the wonderful things which he had seen in the world. “Yes,” said he, “people may easily find a table which will cover itself, a gold-donkey, and things of that kind—excellent things that I certainly value—but these are nothing in comparison with the treasure which I have won for myself, and am carrying about with me in my sack there.” The innkeeper pricked up his ears. “What in the world can that be?” he thought. “The sack must be filled with nothing but jewels. I ought to get them cheap too, for all good things go in threes.” When it was time to sleep, the guest stretched out on the bench and laid his sack beneath his head as a pillow. When the innkeeper thought his guest was sound asleep, he went over to him. He pushed and pulled gently and carefully at the sack to see if he could draw it away and put another in its place. The turner, however, had been waiting for this for a long time. Just as the innkeeper was about to give a good tug, he cried, “Out of the sack, Cudgel!” Instantly the little cudgel came out, fell on the innkeeper and gave him a sound thrashing. The host cried for mercy. But the louder he cried, the harder the cudgel beat the rhythm on his back. At last he fell to the ground exhausted. Then the turner said, “If you do not return the table that sets itself and the gold-donkey, the dance will start again.” “Oh, no,” cried the host, quite humbly, “I will gladly produce everything, just make that cursed little goblin of a cudgel crawl back into the sack.” Then the apprentice said, “I will let mercy take the place of justice, but beware of getting into mischief again!” So he cried, “Into the sack, Cudgel!” and let him have rest. ![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/b5af5a5a-362b-436a-aa16-cd8dfcf5158a) Next morning the turner went home to his father with the wishing-table, and the gold-donkey. The tailor rejoiced when he saw him once more, and also asked what he had learned abroad. “Dear father,” said he, “I have become a turner.” “A skilled trade,” said the father. “What have you brought back from your travels?” “A precious thing, dear father,” replied the son, “a cudgel in the sack.” “What!” cried the father, “a cudgel! That was worth your trouble, wasn’t it! You could cut yourself one from any tree.” “But not one like this, dear father. If I say, ‘Out of the sack, Cudgel!’ the cudgel springs out and makes anyone who means me harm dance a painful dance. It does not stop until the person lies on the ground and begs for relief. Look, with this cudgel I got back the wishing-table and the gold-donkey which the thievish inn-keeper took away from my brothers. Now let them both be sent for, and invite all our relatives. I will give them food and drink, and will fill their pockets with gold into the bargain.” The old tailor did not quite believe him, but nevertheless got the relatives together. Then the turner spread a cloth in the room and led in the gold-donkey, and said to his brother, “Now, dear brother, speak to him.” The miller said, “Bricklebrit.” Instantly the gold pieces fell down on the cloth like a thunder-shower. The donkey did not stop until everyone had so much that he could carry no more. (I can see by your face that you would like to be there too.) Then the turner brought the little table, and said, “Now, dear brother, speak to it.” And as soon as the carpenter said, “Table, set yourself,” it was spread and amply covered with the most exquisite dishes. Then they had a meal such as the good tailor had never known in his house. All the relatives stayed together until late in the night, merry and glad. The tailor locked away needle and thread, measuring stick and tailor’s iron in a cupboard, and lived with his three sons in joy and splendour. ![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/ba0c126a-e9e3-4107-b21e-cadb36b2d7ef) (What, however, has become of the goat who was to blame for the tailor driving out his three sons? That I will tell you. Ashamed of her bald head, she ran to a fox’s hole and crept into it. When the fox came home, he was met by two great eyes shining out of the darkness. Terrified, he ran away. A bear met him. As the fox looked quite disturbed, the bear said, “What is the matter, brother Fox? Why do you look like that?” “Ah,” answered Redcoat, “a fierce beast is in my cave and stared at me with its fiery eyes.” “We will soon drive him out,” said the bear. He went with him to the cave and looked in. But when he saw the fiery eyes, fear seized him too. He would have nothing to do with the furious beast and took to his heels. The bee met him. Seeing that he was troubled, she said, “Bear, you look so miserable! What has happened to all your cheerfulness?” “It is all very well for you to talk,” replied the bear, “a furious beast with staring eyes is in Redcoat’s house, and we can’t drive him out.” The bee said, “Bear, I feel sorry for you. I am a poor weak creature you would not even bother to look at, but I still believe I can help you.” She flew into the fox’s cave, landed on the goat’s smoothly shaved head and stung her so violently that she sprang up, crying “Meh, meh.” The goat ran out into the world as if mad, and to this hour no one knows where she has gone.) ![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/7f05ece1-9643-4628-bbb5-40dd8ee44de3) ## Modernization notes - The third brother had apprenticed himself to a turner, → The third brother had become an apprentice turner, shaping objects on a machine called a lathe.: A turner makes objects on a lathe, a machine that turns a piece of material while it is shaped. The translation does not specify the material of his work. - Redskin → Redcoat: Here the fox’s nickname refers to his red fur. Redcoat keeps that image while replacing a word now offensive when used for Indigenous people of North America. The historical wording remains in the original version. - only make the accursed kobold creep back into the sack. → just make that cursed little goblin of a cudgel crawl back into the sack.: A kobold is a spirit from German folklore. The innkeeper uses the name for the magical cudgel that is beating him; the wording makes clear that he is speaking about the cudgel. - Redskin → Redcoat: Here the fox’s nickname refers to his red fur. Redcoat keeps that image while replacing a word now offensive when used for Indigenous people of North America. The historical wording remains in the original version. ## Presented text (with modernization) © OpenClassics.org — All rights reserved. ## Original text Grimm’s Fairy Tales, 1914, Cupples & Leon Company, New York - author: Jacob Grimm - author: Wilhelm Grimm - translator: Margaret Hunt ## Illustration [Georg Mühlberg](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/270a0664-4509-4856-9265-1dabcf918c83) — Tischlein deck dich, Uvachrom [Georg Mühlberg](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/8eea9495-e52f-41ac-8b90-038b1fbff60f) — Tischlein deck dich, Uvachrom [Georg Mühlberg](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/9c931d70-a5a7-48fe-9281-7f0e12f9ce14) — Tischlein deck dich, Uvachrom [Georg Mühlberg](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/b5af5a5a-362b-436a-aa16-cd8dfcf5158a) — Tischlein deck dich, Uvachrom [Georg Mühlberg](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/ba0c126a-e9e3-4107-b21e-cadb36b2d7ef) — Tischlein deck dich, Uvachrom [Georg Mühlberg](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/7f05ece1-9643-4628-bbb5-40dd8ee44de3) — Tischlein deck dich, Uvachrom ## Reading music Songs Without Words, Op. 19b — No. 3 Felix Mendelssohn Benjamin Moser (piano) Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (source) [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) ## Quiz ### How many compartments does a goat’s stomach have? - Two - Four (Correct answer) - Eight A goat has one stomach divided into four compartments. Microbes help it digest plants. [San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance — Goat and Sheep](https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/goat-and-sheep) ### Which animal belongs to the same family as the donkey? - The cat - The goat - The horse (Correct answer) Donkeys and horses belong to the equid family, along with zebras. [Smithsonian’s National Zoo — Why we work with wild equids](https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/news/why-we-work-wild-equids-what-special-about-przewalskis-horse) ### What happens to a piece of wood on a woodturner’s lathe? - It spins around (Correct answer) - It floats in water - It melts The wood spins while the craftsperson holds cutting tools against it to make rounded shapes. [The Worshipful Company of Turners — Craft](https://turnersco.com/craft/) ### What does a flour mill produce by grinding grain? - Oil - Flour (Correct answer) - Salt Millstones crush grain to make flour. In a watermill, flowing water drives a wheel that powers the machinery. [Amgueddfa Cymru — Melin Bompren Corn Mill](https://museum.wales/collections/historic-buildings/22/Melin-Bompren-Corn-Mill/) ### What is the chemical symbol for gold? - Ag - Fe - Au (Correct answer) Gold has the symbol Au in the periodic table of elements. Its atomic number is 79. [Royal Society of Chemistry — Gold](https://periodic-table.rsc.org/element/79/gold) ## Other languages - [Français](https://www.openclassics.org/fr/stories/the-wishing-table?format=markdown) - [简体中文](https://www.openclassics.org/zh/stories/the-wishing-table?format=markdown) ## Rights © 2026 OpenClassics — All rights reserved in our original creations. [Rights](https://www.openclassics.org/information/terms)