The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1860-03-31
Select 5turu.
From the Leisure IIour.]
THE KING AND THE GO0SE-HERD,
cCubblcr. stick to thy lAst."

s'Cubbier stick to thy list"
Most if not all our readers have heard
this provcrb applied, when some one has
attempted what was out Of bis province
But assuredly none of them ever saw it
so royalty exemplifed as it was in the
true history ! am about to relate, the
principal actor in which was no less a
parsonage than Maximlian Joseph of Ba
varia, the grandfather of the present king
of that country, and one of the most low
ing, as well as one of the most beloved
monarchs, that ever welded scepter-
On one hot summer day, King Maximil-
ian, clad in very plain habilimcnts, had
gone out alone, las was his wont,) to walk
in the fine park which surrounds his cas-
tie of Tcgernue, aud after a time, drew a
volume from his pocket, and seated him
self on ii bench to read. The sultriness
of the air, and the perfect stiffness of The
place, made his eyes heavy, and laying
down his book on the bench beside him,
the monarch fell into doze. His slunl-
Der did not last long, however, and on
awaking, he rose to continue his walk,
but forgot his book, and left it lying on
the bench. Wandering onwards, from
one division of the extensive park to
another, he at length passed beyond its
limits, and entered on those grassy downs
which stretch down to the margin of the
luke.
All at once, the king remembered his
book, and the possibility that it might be
seen and appropriated by some stranger
passing by. Unwilling to lose book he
valued, and equally unwilling to retrace
the way he had come, while the lake path
to the castle lay tcmptingly before him,
the king looked round in every direction,
for some one whom he could send for the
volume but the only human being with
in view was boy, tending a large flock
Of geese. The monarch, therefore, went
up to him, and said -" llearken, my lad !:
dost think thou could'st find for me a
book | left lying in such and such a part
OF the park thou'lt get two 'zwanzi-
gcrs'# for bringing it to me-
The boy, who had never before seen
the king, cast a most incrodulous look on
the corpulcnt gentleman who made him
so astounding a prof1er, and then turned
away, saying, with an air of conical re-
sentiment 81 am not SO stupid as yol
take me for.'
"Why do you think consider you
stupid :" asked the monarch.
':Because you offer me two zwanzigers
for so trihing service; so much money
can not be earned SO easily" was the
sturdy reply.
"Now, indeed said the king, smiling
good humorcdly, 81 must think thee a
simpleton! why do you thus doubt my
word -
"Thosc up yonder,' replied the boy,
pointing in the direction of the distant
castle, care ready enough to make sport
of the like of us, and ye're one of them,
I'm thinking"
"And suppose | were" said the king:
"but see, here are the two zwanZigcrs
take them, and fetch me the book"
The hcrd-boy's eyes sparkled as he
held actually in his hand sum of money
nearly equal to the hard coin of his SUR
mer's hcrding, and yet he hesitated.
elbow now" cried the king: "why
don't you set off at once 7"
81 would fain to do it-but dare
not" said the poor fellow; " for if the
villagers hear | have left the plaguy
geese, they will turn me off, and how
shall! earn my bread then -
"Simp!cton!" exclaimed the king, ="
will herd the geese till you return"
" Io@!" said the rustic, with a most
ccntcmptuous elongation of the pronoun;
"you would make u pretty gooseherd
you are much too fat, and much too stiff:
suppose they broke away from you now.
and got into the rich meadow yondcr, |
should have more trespass money to pay
than my years wages come to. just
look at the Court Gardener there, him
with the black head and wings he is d
regular deserter, false knave he is for
all the world one of the court trash, and
they, we all know, are good for nothing.
He would lead you fine dance Nay,
nay, it would never do"
The king felt ready to burst with sup
pressed laughter; but mastering himself,
asked, with tolerable comrosure Why
can not keep geese in order as easily as
men! ! have plenty of them to control ~
"You," again said the boy, snceringly,
as he measured the monarch from head to
foot ",hcy must be silly ones, then
but perhaps you're schoolmastor Yet,
even if ye be, it Is much easier to man
age boys than geese; that | can tell ye."
cit may be So" said the king; " but
come, make short work of it will you
bring the book or will you not %
81 would gladly do it," stammercd
the boz, u" but----''
"Ill be answcrable for the geese