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- MAXIMILIAN AND THE GOOSE BOY
- ONE summer day King Maximilian of Bavaria was walking in the
- country. The sun shone hot, and he stopped under a tree to rest.
- It was very pleasant in the cool shade. The king lay down on the soft
- grass, and looked up at the white clouds sailing across the sky. Then he
- took a little book from his pocket and tried to read.
- But the king could not keep his mind on his book. Soon his eyes closed,
- and he was fast asleep.
- It was past noon when he awoke. He got up from his grassy bed, and
- looked around. Then he took his cane in his hand, and started for home.
- When he had walked a mile or more, he happened to think of his book.
- He felt for it in his pocket. It was not there. He had left it under the tree.
- The king was already quite tired, and he did not like to walk back so far.
- But he did not wish to lose the book. What should he do?
- If there was only some one to send for it!
- While he was thinking, he happened to see a little barefooted boy in the
- open field near the road. He was tending a large flock of geese that were
- picking the short grass, and wading in a shallow brook.
- The king went toward the boy. He held a gold piece in his hand.
- "My boy," he said, "how would you like to have this piece of money?"
- "I would like it," said the boy; "but I never hope to have so much."
- "You shall have it if you will run back to the oak tree at the second
- turning of the road, and fetch me the book that I left there."
- The king thought that the boy would be pleased. But not so. He turned
- away, and said, "I am not so silly as you think."
- "What do you mean?" said the king, "Who says that you are silly?"
- "Well," said the boy, "you think that I am silly enough to believe that you
- will give me that gold piece for running a mile, and fetching you a book.
- You can't catch me."
- "But if I give it to you now, perhaps you will believe me," said the king;
- and he put the gold piece into the little fellow's hand.
- The boy's eyes sparkled; but he did not move.
- "What is the matter now?" said the king. "Won't you go? "
- The boy said, "I would like to go; but I can't leave the geese. They will
- stray away, and then I shall be blamed for it."
- "Oh, I will tend them while you are away," said the king.
- The boy laughed. "I should like to see you tending them!" he said. "Why,
- they would run away from you in a minute."
- "Only let me try," said the king.
- At last the boy gave the king his whip, and started off. He had gone but a
- little way, when he turned and came back.
- "What is the matter now?" said Maximilian.
- "Crack the whip!"
- The king tried to do as he was bidden, but he could not make a sound.
- "I thought as much," said the boy. "You don't know how to do anything."
- Then he took the whip, and gave the king lessons in whip cracking. "Now
- you see how it is done," he said, as he handed it back. "If the geese try to
- run away, crack it loud."
- The king laughed. He did his best to learn his lesson; and soon the boy
- again started off on his errand.
- Maximilian sat down on a stone, and laughed at the thought of being a
- gooseherd. But the geese missed their master at once. With a great
- cackling and hissing they went, half flying, half running, across the
- meadow.
- The king ran after them, but he could not run fast. He tried to crack
- the whip, but it was of no use. The geese were soon far away. What was
- worse, they had gotten into a garden, and were feeding on the tender
- vegetables.
- A few minutes afterward, the goose boy came back with the book.
- "Just as I thought," he said. "I have found the book, and you have lost the
- geese."
- "Never mind," said the king, "I will help you get them again."
- "Well, then, run around that way, and stand by the brook while I drive
- them out of the garden."
- The king did as he was told. The boy ran forward with his whip, and
- after a great deal of shouting and scolding, the geese were driven back
- into the meadow.
- "I hope you will pardon me for not being a better gooseherd, " said
- Maximilian; "but, as I am a king, I am not used to such work."
- "A king, indeed!" said the boy. "I was very silly to leave the geese with
- you. But I am not so silly as to believe that you are a king."
- "Very well," said Maximilian, with a smile; "here is another gold piece,
- and now let us be friends."
- The boy took the gold, and thanked the giver. He looked up into the
- king's face and said,—
- "You are a very kind man, and I think you might be a good king; but if
- you were to try all your life, you would never be a good gooseherd."
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