Story LXVI
IN a far away country there is a delightful forest, remote from the dwellings of men. It stretches far and wide over the land, and the birds love it. And in that forest there is a cool sheltered pasture, through which a river flows, and on its bank a fig tree throws its shade. There the king of the geese used to rest with his flock,wearied with their day's wandering.
One day when the geese had gone away, a fowler came and spread a net about the tree. In the evening they returned in their wonted fashion, and were all caught in the net. Their king then, seeing that they had all been taken prisoners, set his wits to work to deliver them from the toils. After reflecting on the case, he said —
" My children ! when the fowler comes back in the morning, lie perfectly quiet, and pretend to be dead. Then he will think you are really dead, and will take you out of the net and throw you aside; after which jump up, and fly away as fast as you can."
So it turned out. In the morning the fowler came back to see if he had caught the geese. They all lay perfectly still, and he thought they were dead; so he took them out of the net and threw them on
