Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1901-08-29
!. COZ EBYS GOOSE
By G. Lauren Hooper.

was an afternoon in June, and we
j boys were lounging on the banks
of Coleby's pond. 1t was cool there
in the shade, and we felt very com
Portable as we watched old Coleby,
the blacksmith, at work in his hot,
grimy shop just across the sheet OF
water that bore his name, and which
served as a sea for his stately feet OF
geese.
Coleby was an honest old German.
He owed no man cent, and was care
full that no man should long owe him
one.
just and exact in his dealings, he
expected men to be just and exact
with him. Nevertheless, he was un-
fortunate enough to have provoked
the nirth of us boys, and, as we lay
there in the shade that afternoon, we
amused ourselves in a manner that
pleased us highly, but sent him to the
verge Of distraction.
'Coleby, Coleby, bring back that
goose!" we cried, with the rhythmic
swing of the voice with which the
charcoal-vender cries his ware through
the streets. "Coleby, Coleby, bring
back that goose!"
Coleby's goose-that is, the one OF
the flock that was celebrated in our
monotonous song-had one day
strayed from the rest as they plucked
grass on the common by the pond,
and was last seen, as one of the boys
told Coleby, near an inverted yawl,
raised few feet from the ground
by standards, and used as hen
coop by fisherman who lived in the
vicinity.
Coleby mourned the loss of his
goose, and suspected that some of his
disrsputable neighbors had taken her
Having failed to discover the fate
of the fowl, he sailed forth one night
to investigate. The first place he went
to was the fsherman's.
Now, Coleby wouldn't really have
gone into his neighbours coop with
out just reason, but he had right
to. his suspicious, so he only listened
quietly outside, with his ear against
the weather-beaten yawl.
Suddenly, Colcby heard the drowsy
..honk" of a goose-such ''honk'' as
lomesick goose might make if she
were dreaming of a voyage with the
feet on Coleby's pond.
Coleby well knew that the fisher.
man only had three chickens, two
ducks and drake, and not goose to
his name; SO he concluded that the
fowl within was his.
Stealthily entering the coop, he
took. the goose under his arm, but
unused to such treatment, the goose
made such an cutlery and fuss fol
freedom that the fisherman was
aroused and fastened to the coor
door, where he met Coleby,' who had
finally secured and quieted the fright
ened bird.
Here, sir!'' said the fisherman;
'swhose goose is that?"
"It tain'd your goose already" said
Coleby. SITS mine goose"
what do you keep her in my coor
for, thef?" shouted the fisherman.
Shame on you," said Coleby, "fo1
stealing ~ poor goose-a poor goose
vat vas LOST"
''Steal it," shouted the fisherman
II steal your goose! What do yor
mean?'
..How did yer goose get in you
coop If you did't steal it?. Coleby
asked, angrily.
And SO the quarrel went on.
The fisherman was enraged. HI
said he hadn't stolen the goose, and
didn't even know it was in his coop.
I Coleby would listen to no explana
{ ton, but went away triumphant, say
ing he would have the law on the
fisherman, if any more of his geese
4 were missing.
The next day the fisherman told i,
over the village that Coleby had beer
ONT raiding the coops, and had com.
!, 1oN one OF his ducks and chickens, bu,
the goose already stolen made sucl
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