Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs

Origin
"A cottager and his wife had a Hen that laid a golden egg every day. They supposed that the Hen must contain a great lump of gold in its inside, and in order to get the gold they killed it. Having done so, they found to their surprise that the Hen differed in no respect from their other hens. The foolish pair, thus hoping to become rich all at once, deprived themselves of the gain of which they were assured day by day."

In early tellings, there is sometimes a commentary warning against greed rather than a pithy moral.

The majority of illustrations of "The Goose that laid the Golden Eggs" picture the farmer despairing after discovering that he has killed the goose to no purpose. Having killed the goose that lays the golden eggs, the farmer stands for the politically driven union members. His wife and children sorrow in the background.