The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1860-03-31


This decided the question and so,
after eXacting a promise that his substi-
tutc would pay special attention to the
doings Of the stately gander, whom he
designated as the "Court Gardener"
and pronounced an incorrigible breaker
of bounds, and prime scducer of the flock,
he placed the whip in the kings hands,
and set off on his GRAND.
But scarcely had he run a few yards
when lie turned back again.
"What is the matter now - called
out the king.
g Crack the whip" resounded in re-
turn. The monarch swung it with his
best effort, but procured no sounding
whack. 81 thought so - exclaimed the
rustic. " A schoolmaster, forsooth, and
can not crack a whip!' SO saying, he
snatchcd the whip from the kings hand,
and began, with more zeal than success,
to instruct him in the science of whip
cracking. The king, though scarcely
able to contain himself, tried in right ear
nest, and at length succeeded in extract
ing tolerably sharp report from the
leathern instrument Of authority and
the boy, after once more trying to i'm
press the duties of his responsible Office
on his temporary substitute, ran off at
full speed in the direction the king had
Indicated.
The monarch, who could now indulge
in hearty laugh, sat himself down on Il
tree-stump which the goosc-herd mad pre-
viously occupied, to await the return Of
his messenger. But it really seemed as
if his fcathcrcd charge had discovered
that the whip was no longer welded by
their accustomed prompt and vigilant
commander, for the treacherous ssConrt
Gardener suddenly stretched out his
long neck, and, after accommodating on all
sides, uttered two or three shrill screams !:
upon which, as if a tempest had all at
once rushed under the multitude of wings
the whole flock rose simultaneously into
the air, and before the king could recover
from his surprise, they were careerng,
with loud screams, toward the rich mea-
dows bordering the lake, over which they
quickly spread themselves in all possible
directions.
At the first outbnrst, the royal herds
man called halt,' with all his might :
he brandishcd and tried hard to crack
the whip, but extracted no sound which
could intlmdate the Court Gardener
He then ran to and fro, until, tecming
with pcrspiratlcn, and yielding to adverse
fate, he reseated himself Oh the tree
stump, and, leaving the geese to their
own devices, quietly awaited the return
Of his messenger.
"The boy was right, after ALL" said
he to himself: " it is easier to govern a
couple Of millions Of men than flock of
'plagny geese and a court gardener can
do a deal Of mischief"
Meanwhile the boy had reached the
bench, found the book, and sped back in
triumph, little dreaming of the discomft-
urc his substitute had experienced. But
whcn on coming close up to the king, he
looked round in vain for his charge, and
still worse, when their vociferous cack-
ling led his eyes in the direction of tke
forbidden meadow, he was so overwhelmed
that, letting fall the book, he exclaimed,
half-crying with grief and vcxation -
"Thcre we have it j! knew how it
would be! Did | not say from the first
you understood nothing! And what is
to be done now? | can never get them
together by myself. You must help,
that's fact"
The king consented; the herdboy
placed him at one corner, showed him
how to move his outstretched arms up
and down, whilst he must shout with al!
his might and then the boy himself set
out, whip in hand, to gather in the far
thest scattered of the flock.
The king did his best, and after terri
bic exertions, the cackling runaways were
once more congrcgated on their allotted
territory.
But now the boy gave free vent to his
Indignation, rated the king soundly for
neglect, and wound up all by declaring :
" Never shall any one get my whip from
me again. or tempt me, with two zwanzi-
gers, to give up my geese. No; not to
The king himself"
"lou are quite right there, my fine
fellow" said the good-natured Maximil-
ian, bursting into Il laugh; "he under
stands goose-hcrding quite as little as l
do.'
"And you laugh at it, to the bargain ="
said the boy, in high dudgcon.
"Wcll, look ye now" said the mon
arch, 81 nm the king 10
You" once more reiterated the in
dignant goosc-herd; 81 am not such a
fiat as to believe that-not I. So lift up
your book and get along with you"
The king quickly took up his book,
saying, as he handed four additional
zwanzigers to the astonished lad f." Don't
be angry with me, my boy; | give you
my word, I'll never undertake to herd
geese again.
The boy fixed a doubling gaze on the
mysterious donor of such unexampled
treasure, then added, with a wise shake
of the head " You're kind gentleman,
whoever you may be- but you'll never
make good gooseherd ~