The geese were soon far away. What was
worse, they had gotten into a garden, and were feeding on the tender
veg-e-ta-bles.

A few minutes after-ward, the goose boy came back with the book.

"Just as I thought," he said. "I have found the book, and you have
lost the geese."

"Never mind," said the king, "I will help you get them again."

"Well, then, run around that way, and stand by the brook while I drive
them out of the garden."

The king did as he was told. The boy ran forward with his whip, and
after a great deal of shouting and scolding, the geese were driven
back into the meadow.

"I hope you will pardon me for not being a better goose-herd," said
Maximilian; "but, as I am a king, I am not used to such work."

"A king, indeed!" said the boy. "I was very silly to leave the geese
with you. But I am not so silly as to believe that you are a king."

"Very well," said Maximilian, with a smile; "here is another gold
piece, and now let us be friends."

The boy took the gold, and thanked the giver. He looked up into the
king's face and said,--

"You are a very kind man, and I think you might be a good king; but if
you were to try all your life, you would never be a good gooseherd."

THE INCHCAPE ROCK.

In the North Sea there is a great rock called the Inch-cape Rock. It
is twelve miles from any land, and is covered most of the time with
water.

Many boats and ships have been wrecked on that rock; for it is so near
the top of the water that no vessel can sail over it without striking
it.

More than a hundred years ago there lived not far away a kind-heart-ed
man who was called the Abbot of Ab-er-broth-ock.

"It is a pity," he said, "that so many brave sailors should lose their
lives on that hidden rock."

So the abbot caused a buoy to be fastened to the rock. The buoy
floated back and forth in the shallow water. A strong chain kept it
from floating away.

On the top of the buoy the abbot placed a bell; and when the waves
dashed against it, the bell would ring out loud and clear.

Sailors, now, were no longer afraid to cross the sea at that place.
When they heard the bell ringing, they knew just where the rock was,
and they steered their vessels around it.

"God bless the good Abbot of Ab-er-broth-ock!" they all said.

One calm summer day, a ship with a black flag happened to sail not far
from the Inch-cape Rock. The ship belonged to a sea robber called
Ralph the Rover; and she was a terr