as she stood there waiting, the sky grew black above her
head with the shadowing of wings, and the honking of the geese grew
louder and nearer till they circled and lighted in a flock at her feet.

She saw that they looked very plump and well-fed, and Grayking was the
fattest of the flock. All she did was to look at them steadily and
reproachfully; but they came waddling bashfully up to her and stood in a
line before her with drooping heads. It seemed as if something made them
stay and listen to what she had to say, although they would much rather
fly away.

Then she talked to them gently and told them how bad they were to steal
corn and spoil the harvest. And as she talked they grew to love her
tender voice, even though it scolded them. She cried bitterly as she
took each one by the wings and shook him for his sins and whipped
him--not too severely. Tears stood in the round eyes of the geese also,
not because she hurt them, for she had hardly ruffled their thick
feathers; but because they were sorry to have pained the beautiful
Saint. For they saw that she loved them, and the more she punished them
the better they loved her. Last of all she punished Grayking. But when
she had finished she took him up in her arms and kissed him before
putting him in the pen with the other geese, where she meant to keep
them in prison for a day and a night. Then Grayking hung his head, and
in his heart he promised that neither he nor his followers should ever
again steal anything, no matter how hungry they were. Now Saint Werburgh
read the thought in his heart and was glad, and she smiled as she turned
away. She was sorry to keep them in the cage, but she hoped it might do
them good. And she said to herself, "They shall have at least one good
breakfast of convent porridge before they go."

Saint Werburgh trusted Hugh, the Steward, for she did not yet know the
wickedness of his heart. So she told him how she had punished the geese
for robbing him, and how she was sure they would never do so any more.
Then she bade him see that they had a breakfast of convent porridge the
next morning; and after that they should be set free to go where they
chose.

Hugh was not satisfied. He thought the geese had not been punished
enough. And he went away grumbling, but not daring to say anything cross
to the Lady Abbess who was the King's daughter.

II.

SAINT WERBURGH was busy all the rest of that day and early the next
morning too, so she could