The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-23
KING AND GEESE.


palace at Tegernsee The heat was Indeed
great. and it was so very quiet in the gar
den that the king fell asleep over the book
he was reading. He laid it down beside
him on the bench and continued to SUM
ber When he awoke, he thought he
would drive away his drowsiness by TAX
Ing walk. The road, which took him
farther and farther away from the gar
den, brought him at last to the meadow
which extended on both sides from tbs
shores of the beautiful lake near which
the palace stood.
Here the king remembered his book,
which he had left lying on the bench in
The park IF any QUE passed by, he might
take the volume " hich, being a rather
rare O. e, the king did not wish to lose.
As he 1as unwilling to return the same
way. he looked about for some one who
would fetrb the book to him, but far and
wide he did not see a single human being.
except a boy who was watching a flock Of
geese. The king went up TO him and said,
Listen, my boy; you can go and fetch me
book which have left lying on bench
in the park, and you shall have form
for your trouble
The lad, who did not know the king,
looked at the gentleman with much mis-
trust. a form for so small a service
seemed to him to be so large an offer as to
be hoax.
Il am not the simpleton you take me
tor said he, turning away
what makes you think that I take you
for a simpletons' asked the king, smil
ing, pleased with the open manner of the
lad.
off l,ri fnr
trifling service replied the boy. Money
is not earned so easily. The people down
there, - he added, pointing his finger to
the distant palace, take us for fools, and
/ know you are one of them"
well, what if / amp said the king.
Come, here's half form in advance.
Now go and fetch me the book. "
The boys eyes sparkled when he held
the money in his hand, for he did not get
much more than that for looking after the
geese for the whole year, but still he hest.
t8ted.
Well" asked the king, why don't
you go?''
The boy pushed his cap on one side and
scratched himself behind the ear.
Yes" said he, Il will-but-I dare
not If the farmers heard that l left the
geese, they would dismiss me, and 1
should lose my daily bread"
'I'll watch them till you come back
again"
You" replied the boy measuring the
stranger from top to toe You don't
look TO me like one that could take care of
geese If they were to run away and get
lost In these meadows, / might have to
pay more than l should earn in year.
Z III l. -
who belongs to the court gardener. He Is
an awful old bird, deserter, a good for
nothing, like ali people who have to do
with court. He would play you fine
tricks while [ was away. No, no; that
would never DO"
But why should not be able to keep
these geese in order as well as l succeed
in keeping men in order?'' said the king.
"You?" replied the lad, again eyins
the monarch, with a grin. They must
be fine fellows indeed All, now / have it,
You are schoolmaster. J tell you, boys
are much easier managed than geese.
Possibly, but come, he quick. viii
you fetch the book2 I will answer for any
mischief that may happen
This decided the boy. He enjoined the
king to keep a watchful eye over the goose
gander, who might run off directly, lead
ing the whole herd after him. Then he
gave him the whip and ran off, but soon
stood still, and then came back again.
What does this mean?" cried the king
10 him.
Crack it once!' ordered the boy.
The king trieu it, but 1t would not crack
at all
That's just what 1 thonght!" ex-
claimed the boy. 1.-The schoolmaster
thinks he can take care of geese and can
not even crack a whipi'
Then he took the whip out of the king
hand and showed him how to crack it.
His majesty could scarcely repress his
laughter. He tried all he could to learn
how to crack it, and when he had succeed
ed the boy enjoined him to use it at the
right moment and then ran away. Now
the king could laugh as much as he liked.
But, in fact, it seemed as if the geese OBJ
served Mt once that their young but severe
master no longer held the reins of govern
ment. The eander which the boy had
pointed out as the court gardener raised
his long neck, looked everywhere around
him, uttered several ''quack, quacks"
and then all the geese raised their wings,
DelOTt lnS hlHS Coulu
look around rushed, in every direction, I'd
the meadows around the lake.
The king cried out. 1t was no use. He
wanted to crack the whip. but the whip
gave no sound. He ran to the right, he
ran to the left all of no use, however.
Out of breath with laughing he sat down
on the trunk of tree where the boy had
been sitting and let the geese go.
The boy was really right, he said to
himself, that it is easier TO govern a cou-
pie of millions of men than TO manage a
herd of geese. Only it was that scoundrel,
the court gardener, who was the cause of
sll this mischief -
The boy meanwhile had found the book
and came merrily back, but when he saw
what had happened he let the book fall.
There we have itI'' he exclaimed, Sob
hing with anger and grief. Didn't / say
you understood nothing about it? Just
look now! can { collect them together by
myself Now you will have To help me-"
After the boy had instructed the king
now he must lift UP his arms, wave them
about and shout aloud, he ran off to fetch
the most distant of the strayed flock.
The king did all that was in his power,
and after great exertions the whole flock
was at last assembled again. Then the
boy began TO scold the king for doing his
duty so badly. concluding with the words:
Never in my life will trust the whip
tut of my hands again. / wouldn t even
fntrust il to the king himself If he tried
TO persuade me 10 leave the flock.
You are right. my brave lad, said the
king, bursting into loud laugh. He
understands it no more than do, for
ID