The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-10-05
WASHING THE GEESE.

BOB and Sam Graham were spending
the summer with their uncle, upon
his farm.
Their father was very anxious to
have them interested in natural his
tory, and he begged his brother to en-
courage them in Observing the habits
of animals. and to write him occa-
sionally of their improvement.
This is the first letter he received:
DEAR BROTIIER.-Your boys are
coming on finely. They eat like little
colts, and drink pint of milk apiece
every morning, and are out of doors
all the while. Their legs are scratched
and their faces are as brown as little
Indians.
They are really anxious to follow
your advice, ard notice all the animals
and insects they come upon; and al
though sam was bitten by a red SPUR
rel he was trying to tame, and both he
and Bob We're badly stang 10y some
hornets, and they fell into the pond
mot deep one) while in pursuit of
polliwogs, still they keep up their
spirits.
Sam tries to count the legs of the
flies that get into his cup of milk, and
I think viii find out before the end
of the summer; and Bob is hoping to
be able sometime to stand still long
enough to let mosquito bite him, for
the sake of seeing how it is done.
My wife went away recently for
visit of a day or two, and gave them
some parting messages did not hear
The next day, leaving the boys at
home, L went to work in my lot,
about a quarter of a mile away.
Presently l heard great row among
the geese. l could hear it plainly at
that distance. and it grew louder and
louder.
Finally | went toward home, and
when [ got in sight of the brook, be-
held your boys.
They were in the brook, shoes and
stockings off, pants rolled up, and each
having a lively wrestle with a great
white goose; the boys We're splashing
and laughing, all the geese We're
screaming and squalling, and the gam
der, in high state Of excitement, was
flying round sisSing, rushing at the
i,,I nf
In moment more, reused by the
noise, all the geese of my neighbors
came charging down to the banks,
eager to see what was the matter. In
agine the noise, if you can: the gan
ders flew at the boys, picked at their
legs, swarmed up and down their backs,
kissing, striking with their wings, and
all the geese clamored and clanked,
gabbled and squalled, and rushed about
on the banks or in the water.
hailed the boys above all the riot
and asked what they were doing.
"Oh," said Bob, as cheerful as if he
had not great gander on his shoulders
trying to knock his cap off, "Aunt
Mary said we were to wash the geese"
| was Il good deal astonisheG at this,
as | supposed geese always did their
own washing; but Mary had the man
agement of the fowls, so l said no
more, and the boys went courageously
on and washed every one of my flock,
showing, think, great pluck and spir
it, for it could not have been much
fun, with all those ganders banging at
them.
Mary came home the next day, and
the boys hastened to report, in order to
show that they had been good and done
as they were told. AS they went on,
Mary looked more and more puzzled.
1--WE washed EN- said Bob, i'll tri-
umphant tone, land the old gande1
pecked my ear awful. tell you, |
gave him the worst washing of 'em
all. I'd starched and irOned him If
had knew how
Mary commenced to laugh as the
boys went on, and laughed harder and
harder, until they were quite indig-
nant.
Finally she managed to explain. 81
said, ,catch the geese. Some of them
have been stealing their nests away
from the pound among the bushes,
and l wanted yeu to watch and see
where they went. o dear! and she
went off into another fit of laughing.
Sam and Bob walked off, and all my
praise of the courage they showed
could not quite make up to them fol-
Aunt Mary laughing at them. We say
nothing about the geese now. But
you see they are brave, manly little
fellows, and we are glad to have them
here. Yours very truly,
! r.- FRED GRAHAM.
Youths Companion.