“To be frank, I did think it strange,” answered the boy.  “But I knew, of course, that you always have some good reason for whatever you do.”

“You have a good opinion of me,” returned Akka, “but I almost fear you will lose it now, for it’s very probable that we have made this journey in vain.

“Many years ago it happened that two of the other old geese and myself encountered frightful storms during a spring flight and were wind-driven to this island.  When we discovered that there was only open sea before us, we feared we should be swept so far out that we should never find our way back to land, so we lay down on the waves between these bare cliffs, where the storm compelled us to remain for several days.

“We suffered terribly from hunger; once we ventured up to the cleft on this island in search of food.  We couldn’t find a green blade, but we saw a number of securely tied bags half buried in the sand.  We hoped to find grain in the bags and pulled and tugged at them till we tore the cloth.  However, no grain poured out, but shining gold pieces.  For such things we wild geese had no use, so we left them where they were.  We haven’t thought of the find in all these years; but this autumn something has come up to make us wish for gold.

“We do not know that the treasure is still here, but we have travelled all this way to ask you to look into the matter.”

With a shell in either hand the boy jumped down into the cleft and began to scoop up the sand.  He found no bags, but when he had made a deep hole he heard the clink of metal and saw that he had come upon a gold piece.  Then he dug with his fingers and felt many coins in the sand.  So he hurried back to Akka.

“The bags have rotted and fallen apart,” he exclaimed, “and the money lies scattered all through the sand.”

“That’s well!” said Akka.  “Now fill in the hole and smooth it over so no one will notice the sand has been disturbed.”

The boy did as he was told, but when he came up from the cleft he was astonished to see that the wild geese were lined up, with Akka in the lead, and were marching toward him with great solemnity.

The geese paused in front of him, and all bowed their heads many times, looking so grave that he had to doff his cap and make an obeisance to them.

“The fact is,” said Akka, “we old geese have been thinking that if Thumbietot had been in the service of human beings and had done as much for them as he has for us they would not let him go without rewarding him well.”

“I haven’t helped you; it is you who have taken good care of me,” returned the boy.

“We think also,” continued Akka, “that when a human being has attended us on a whole journey he shouldn’t be allowed to leave us as poor as when he came.”

“I know that what I have learned this year with you is worth more to me than gold or lands,” said the boy.

“Since these gold coins have been lying unclaimed in the cleft all these years, I think that you ought to have them,” declared the wild goose.