ay receive just
punishment for their greediness."

"But, mother," said the superintendent, "this is not a time for jesting!
These are not sheep to be guided into the fold, but birds with long,
strong wings, to fly away with."

"Do you understand me!" answered the abbess. "Go at once, and bid them
come to me without delay, and render an account of their misdeeds."

The superintendent ran back to the farm, and found the flock of
evildoers still there. He raised his voice and clapping his hands,
cried:--

"Come, come, ye greedy geese! The lady abbess commands you to hasten to
the convent door!"

Wonderful sight! Hardly had he uttered these words than the geese raised
their necks as if to listen, then, without spreading their wings, they
placed themselves in single file, and in regular order began to march
toward the convent. As they proceeded they bowed their heads as if
confessing their fault and as though about to receive punishment.

Arriving at the convent, they entered the courtyard in exact order, one
behind the other, and there awaited the coming of the abbess. All night
they stood thus without making a sound, as if struck dumb by their
guilty consciences. But when morning came, they uttered the most pitiful
cries as though asking pardon and permission to depart.

Then the lady abbess, taking compassion on the repentant birds, appeared
with some nuns upon a balcony. Long she talked to the geese, asking them
why they had stolen the convent grain. She threatened them with a long
fast, and then, softening, began to offer them pardon if they would
never again attack her lands, nor eat her corn. To which the geese bowed
their heads low in assent. Then the abbess gave them her blessing and
permission to depart.

Hardly had she done so when the geese, spreading their wings, made a
joyous circle above the convent towers, and flew away. Alighting at some
distance they counted their number and found one missing. For, alas! in
the night, when they had been shut in the courtyard, the convent cook,
seeing how fat they were, had stolen one bird and had killed, roasted,
and eaten it.

When the birds discovered that one of their number was missing, they
again took wing and, hovering over the convent, they uttered mournful
cries, complaining of the loss of their comrade, and imploring the
abbess to return him to the flock.

Now, when the lady abbess heard these melancholy pleas, she assembled
her household, and inquired