American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-02-27
A GOOSE STORY.

} GOOSE STORY.
"a GOOSE story?" Didn't hear some
body say that scornfully, just as l pu
my pen to this paper?
Well, l am not surprised, for / hav,
heard all the common expressions, Sill.
as goose" Don't be goose" AMI
You little goose" Indeed, / may a
well confess that l sometimes use sucl
expressions, but of late years / never dc
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 a 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
hnf To
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 I'M
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
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 a 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
deed all through the following winter it
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 IA bullying, vexatious
boy and himself. The boy threatened
vengeance dire, but his mother inter
fered. She said it was fair fight, and
if the gander had the best OF it she was
glad, as he was only standing up for his
rights; he didn't begin the quarrel
However, there was persistent feud
between Johnnie and the gander up 10
the period when left the farm house.
For a time l was little afraid of the
martial bird; but as l was given to pok
ing around among the poultry we some
how became very well acquainted and |
the best of friends.
He would take bits of bread from |
nv fingers as gently as though he had |
been taught politeness at boarding |
school: and he submitted with excellent |
grace when | passed him by to feed my |
lame pensioners of whom l 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
that he seeIled quite taken |
up with them and wandered about in
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, 1t was very wee,
and more dead than alive when rescued
from under the trampling feet OF It's |
awkward young mother and placed In IA
basket If wool to come TO its senses In
due time it was lively enough to be put
out of doors among the geese; hut there
is no knowing what would have been the
fate of that toddling mite had 1t been
left entirely to the care of its mother.
However, the eanderssoon discovered it,
and then it was IA sight to see him stretch
his neck, with head almost touching the
ground, as he made his observations.
GU would really tnlnk MS low eapplc
was IA fatherly talk or counsel to those
ignorant and rather stupid females of
his family. Anyway, from that hour they
seemed to consider the bantling Il kind of
Joint stock possession among them; and
never IA family were more preposterously
proud of IL young one than they of theirs.
Such fuss as there was over ii, and II
was very funny to see the unconscious
impudencc of the small, green, fluffy
thing. Instead of following its elders,
it went Just where and when it pleased
and all the geese went after IT.
Before 1t was Il week old il would run
to me whenever appeared, because FED
it, and the gander allowed me to handle
it as much as liked, but woe to any body
else who took such IA liberty with his
treasure.
| used to fill an old pan with water for
the flock to drink, and very soon the pert
little tyrant learned how to get into the
pan, and there, before their thirsty bills,
he would monopolize the dish, making
the whole kith and kin wait until it was
his pleasure to come out.
left the neighborhood in August, and
the last time saw that gosling he was
well grown white feathered stripping OF
a bird but he still ran after me, hoping
to get his dainty morsel, bit of soft
bread. The gander was feeding there,
and, lifting his head, he looked grave-y,