'The Wishing-Table, The Gold-Ass, and the Cudgel in the Sack", also titled 'The Magic Table, the Gold Donkey, and the Club in the Sack", 'The Lying Goat" etc. is a fairy tale by the Grimm Brothers. It's a story about a tailor with three sons and a goat, which is the greatest family treasure. One day, the oldest son takes the goat to pasture and takes care of her until she can't eat anymore. When he brings her home, the goat tells the father that she didn't get almost any food. The father is furious and drives his oldest boy out of the house. The next day, the situation repeats with the second son and one day after with the youngest son. Finally, the father takes the goat to graze. In the evening, he realizes that the animal is lying. But it's too late.

His sons had already left. The tailor can just drive the goat out just like he did with his children.

Each of the sons gets a different job at a different master. Approximately one year later, one by one, they return home.

The eldest worked at the furniture maker. His pay was a magic table. When you say: "Table, deck yourself!" all kinds of food and wine appear on the table, and the table stays full until you are not hungry anymore.

On his way home, he stops at the inn, where he spends the night. He is not very secretive, and the innkeeper recognizes the value of the table. When the boy is asleep, the innkeeper switches it to a similar table without magic properties.

When the oldest son gets home, he wants to impress his father and try to throw a party. Yet the table doesn't deck itself.

The middle son worked at the miller. His pay was a magic donkey. When you say: "Bricklebrit!" the donkey starts throwing gold coins from its mouth and behind.

The second son stops at the same inn, makes the same mistakes, and the innkeeper switches his magic donkey with an ordinary one, just like he did with his older brother's reward.

When the middle son gets home, his donkey proves the same disappointment as the table brought by the eldest son.

The youngest son worked for the woodturner. He had got a magical present as well. His reward was a magic cudgel in the suck. When you say: "Cudgel, out of the suck!" it jumps out and starts beating the wrongdoer and doesn't stop until you say: "Cudgel, in the suck!"

On his way home, the third son has an encounter with the innkeeper, too. But he doesn't fall asleep and is ready when the owner tries to switch the cudgel. He gives the bad innkeeper a good beating and stops only when he returns the stolen goods from both older brothers.

The youngest son victoriously returns home. Now is finally the right time for the party!

The father and his sons are friends again, and everybody enjoys the rest of their lives.

Right at the end, we hear a few words about the goat. Well, she was not just driven from the tailor's house. The tailor shaved her, too, which proved important very soon.

She tried to find new lodging in the fox's hole. The fox wasn't happy with that but was too afraid of her shiny eyes. The fox asked a bear for help, but the bear wasn't brave enough either. Then, a bee stung the goat, and the goat ran out.

Nobody knows where she is now.

Did you know that this fairy tale is among the most widespread stories in the world? We can recognize it in different versions on all continents, with the oldest known variety from China in the 6th century.

The Wishing Table is also one of numerous classic fairy tales sharing the same motif of the incompetent father.

Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm, who became breadwinners for their family as teenagers, were very fond of the theme.