Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-02-18
A GOOSE STORY.

my pen to this paper?
Well, am not surprised, for | have
heard all the common expressions, Silly
as goose" "Don't be a goose" and
=" You little goose" Indeed, | may as
well confess that [ sometimes use such
expressions, but of late years | never do
SO without feeling rather ashamed of my
SELF and am now going to tell you how
this feeling came about. Not very long
ago it was my lot to board for whole
year at a farmhouse, and was an eye
witness to the truth of this little story.
The farmers wife, having no geese, set
some goose-eggs under hen, but only
three were Matched, and soon two of the
goslings died, leaving only one. Then,
to make matters worse for the poor little
fellow, the hen forsook him.
Any boys and girls that live where
fowls are kept will know that chickens
and goslings don't like to be without
companions one whit more than children
do; and this small orphan cried so pitt
fully after his lost friends that the good
woman Of the house, out of kindness
toward him, set some more goose-eggs.
These were Matched when the first was
about six weeks old and he Immediate
ly claimed relationship with the young
goslings. Strange to say, this second
brood was also deserted by the hen-moth-
er within ten days after they saw the
light; but they got along very nicely
without her, for straightway the older
gosling took them under his charge,
though not under his wings, for at that
time he had none worth mentioning.
Some people might have counted it a
" silly goose" performance, but to my
fancy it was a touching one, when that
gosling gander, not yet arrived at the
dignity of feathers, would run Kissing at
any living thing that he suspected of un-
friendly intentions toward the nurslings
while the little things ran along behind
him or at his side, seeming to think him
mother enough for them. He led them
down the roadside to place where a
tiny rivulet crossed the road; and he
found for them all the bright-green spots
where the grass was fresh and tender
then, at evening he brought them home
to the woodshed, where they had been
Matched, and which had always been their
sleeping place.
After his feathers were grown, and he
was become handsome, stately fellow,
you should have seen him as he came
home at nightfall, marching along, with
his head erect and his bright eyes keenly
looking out on either side; the other
three were sure to be close behind, but
walking quite carelessly, evidently with
out any concern on their minds, and
leaving both dignity and vigilance to
their brave leader.
Their confidence was not misplaced.
for when he was fully grown-and in
was not exactly safe for any outsider to
NEEDLE much with the affairs of that
family-he could do more than hiss with
that mouth of his, and slap from his
wings once brought him off conquerer in
a contest between a bullying, vexatious
boy and himself. The boy threatened
vengeance dire, but his mother inter
fered. She said it was a fair fight, and
If the gander had the bes. of it she was
glad, as he was only standing up for his
rights; he didn't begin the quarrel.
However, there was a persistent feud
between Johnnie and the gander up to
the period when I left the farm house.
For time I was little afraid of the
martial bird; but as | was given to polk
ing around among the poultry we some
how became very well acquainted and
the best of friends.
He would take bits Of bread from
my fingers as gently as though he had
been taught politeness at a boarding
school; and he submitted with excellent
grace when passed him by to feed my
lame pensioners, of whom had several
about the premises.
Like many another brave and efficient
male protector, this feathered biped was
very fond of little ones; so much so
that when the black hen brought out an
early brood of chickens, and in April led
them around the garden in search of
worms and last years seeds, the gander
found the sprightly little creatures so
fascinating that he seemed quite taken
up with them, and wandered about III
their vicinity, or sat on the ground where
he could keep them in view.
At length he was drawn from the
chickens by stronger attraction One
of the geese, after several misfortunes in
the way of breaking her eggs and rolling
them out of the nest, Matched one Cos
ling. Poor little thing! It was very wee,
and more dead than alive when rescued
from under the trampling feet of its
awkward young mother and placed in a
basket Ct wool to come to its senses. In