Gawain the goose is devoted to King Basil the bear, and takes his job as Chief Guard of the Royal Treasury seriously. When rubies, then gold ducats, and finally the world-famous Kalikak diamond vanish from the treasure house, there is no way to account for the disappearances. Only Gawain and the King have keys... Woe and misery must be borne - by Gawain, by King Basil and the entire community, as well as by the real thief - before the goose's good name is restored. Brought to trial, Gawain escapes from his faithless friends into lonely self-exile. But at last the thief, burdened by guilt, sees that the right thing must be done and determines, heroically, to do it.