15. The Emperor and the Goose-Boy

One hot summer day King Maximilian, of Bavaria, was walking in the country. Stopping under a tree to rest, he took a little book from his pocket to read, but he soon fell asleep. When he awoke he started for home, and had walked a mile when he thought of the book he had left under the tree. “My boy,” he said to a barefooted lad who was tending a large flock of geese near-by, “if you will run to that oak tree at the second turning of the road and bring me the book that I left there, I will give you this gold-piece.” The boy said, “I would gladly go, but I cannot leave the geese.” “Oh, I will mind them while you are gone,” said the King. The boy laughed. “I should like to see you minding 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 showed him how to crack it, and started off. The King sat on a stone and laughed at the thought of his being a goose-herd. But the geese missed the boy at once, and with a great cackling and hissing they went off, half-flying and half-running, across the field. The King ran after them, trying to crack his whip and bring them back. But they got into a garden and were feeding on the tender vegetables when the boy got back with the book. “Just as I thought,” said the boy, “I have found your book, and you have lost my geese.” The King did the best he could to help the boy drive back the geese into the field. Then he gave the boy another gold-piece. The boy thanked him and said: “You are a very good man, and a very good king; but you will have to try a long time before you are a very good goose-herd.”