The Gray Goose's Story.

by Amy Prentice.

On pleasant afternoons your Aunt Amy dearly loves to wander down by the side of the pond, which lies just beyond the apple orchard, and there meet her bird or animal friends, of whom she has many, and all of them are ready to tell her stories.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Gray Goose.]

There it is she sees Mr. Frisky Squirrel, old Mr. Plodding Turtle, Mr.

Bunny Rabbit, and many others; but never until yesterday did she make the acquaintance of the gray goose, and then it was owing to Master Teddy's mischief that she found a new friend among the dwellers on the farm.

Your Aunt Amy was walking slowly along on the lookout for some bird or animal who might be in the mood for story-telling, when she heard an angry hissing, which caused her to start in alarm, thinking a snake was in her path, and, to her surprise, she saw two geese who were scolding violently in their own peculiar fashion.

One was the gray goose, who afterward became very friendly, and the other, a white gander from the farm on the opposite side of the road.

[Ill.u.s.tration: An Angry Pair.]

"What is the matter?" your Aunt Amy asked, as the geese continued to hiss angrily without giving any heed to her, and Mrs. Gray Goose ceased her scolding sufficiently long to say sharply:

"It's that Mr. Man's boy Teddy; he never comes into the farm-yard without raising a disturbance of some kind, and I for one am sick of so much nonsense."

Your Aunt Amy looked quickly around; but without seeing any signs of the boy who had tried Mrs. Goose's temper so sadly, and, quite naturally, she asked:

"What has he been doing now, and where is he?"

"Down in the meadow, or, he was there when Mr. Gander and I were driven out by his foolish actions," and Mrs. Goose continued to hiss at the full strength of her lungs.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Mr. Crow.]

"If he is so far away your scolding will do no good, because he can't hear it," your Aunt Amy said, finding it difficult to prevent herself from actually laughing in the angry bird's face.

"Some of the other people on this farm can hear me, and thus know that I do not approve of such actions," Mrs. Goose replied sharply. "Since Mr.

Crow began to write poetry about Young Teddy, the boy thinks he can chase us around whenever he pleases. He'll kill Mrs. Cow's baby, if he isn't careful."

"Do you know Mr. Crow?" your Aunt Amy asked in surprise, for every bird or animal she had met seemed to be on friendly terms with the old fellow who spent the greater portion of his time in the big oak tree near the pond.

"Of course I know him," Mrs. Goose replied as she ceased scolding and came nearer your Aunt Amy, while Mr. Gander sat down close at hand as if listening to what was said. "Teddy has been trying for nearly a week to use that poor calf as if the baby was a horse--that's what he's doing now, and Mr. Crow wrote some poetry about it. Of course old Mamma Speckle must run straight to Teddy Boy with it, and since then he has been carrying on worse than ever."

TEDDY AND THE CALF.

"Oh yes, I'll repeat it if you like; but I'd rather you didn't tell Teddy that you heard it, for he is already much too proud. This is the way it goes:

Young Ted was a rider bold, Who never did things by half, And so he hitched to his cart one day A strong and frolicsome calf.

Away he went, and on behind Came a troop of merry boys, Who tossed their caps, and screamed aloud, Till the woods rang with the noise.

But the steed was like his driver,-- He wouldn't do things by half,-- And never had Ted a drive like that He had with his frolicsome calf.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Bold Bare-Back Rider.]

Then Ted tried another game, And mounted his st.u.r.dy steed; But the calf resolved he wouldn't bear that, So he ran with all his speed.

Ted learned to his great dismay, That it wouldn't do by half, When he wanted fun, to tamper with A strong and frolicsome calf.

"That is exactly what he was doing with Mrs. Cow's baby when Mr. Gander and I were just the same as driven out of the meadow," Mrs. Goose said as she finished the verses. "What I'm hoping is, that Mr. Towser Dog will help young Calf out of his trouble."

Mrs. Goose had hardly more than ceased speaking when Mrs. Cow's baby and Mr. Towser appeared in sight, walking slowly as if talking earnestly.

Mr. Gander jumped up at once and went toward them, coming back a moment later as he said to Mrs. Goose:

"Young Calf has given Teddy Boy a good tumble, and hopes he struck the little rascal with his left hind foot; but of that he can't be certain, because of being in such a hurry when he came away. Mamma Speckle has gone over to the pasture believing she may find Mr. Donkey there, and if she does, Teddy Boy and his friends will be glad to get away quickly."

"I suppose Young Calf and Mr. Towser Dog are waiting to hear what Mr.

Donkey has to say about it," Mrs. Goose added, as she nodded to the dog and the calf, who were standing with their noses very near together, as if talking the matter over.

"Does Mr. Donkey often interfere when the animals of the farm get into trouble?" your Aunt Amy asked, and Mrs. Goose replied:

[Ill.u.s.tration: Waiting to Hear from Mr. Donkey.]

"Yes indeed; he's a very good friend to us all, but doesn't often have time to look after such matters, because Mr. Man seems to delight in finding work for him to do. He once actually killed a Mr. Weasel who was sneaking up to murder some of the chickens, and that proves him to be a very able fellow, for even Mr. Man himself believes it's a big thing to get the best of a weasel.

"Mr. Towser Dog is another good friend to all of us. He thinks very much of Mr. Man and his boy Teddy; but at the same time he looks after all the animals and birds on the farm. I've got a piece of poetry about him that perhaps you'd like to hear?"

"Who wrote it, Mrs. Goose?" your Aunt Amy asked, and Mr. Gander spoke up quickly:

"That's what none of us know; but Mr. Crow said he had nothing whatever to do with it. He don't like Mr. Towser Dog, on account of some trouble the two of them had about Mr. Crow's digging up the corn just after Mr.

Man had planted it. h.e.l.lo! there comes Mr. Donkey, and now you may be sure Teddy Boy won't worry Mrs. Cow's baby for quite a while."

As Mr. Gander spoke a small, friendly looking donkey trotted up to where the dog and the calf were talking together, and old Mr. Gander seemed to think it necessary he should waddle over to hear what might be said.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Mr. Donkey comes trotting up to give advice.]

"They'll spend a good half hour talking matters over," Mrs. Goose said as if displeased because of what she evidently believed was a waste of time. "If you want to hear the verses about Mr. Towser, I may as well read them to you now," and she drew out from beneath her wing a much soiled piece of paper, on which was printed the following lines:

He was just a common dog, you see, With no particular line Of ancestry to mark him out As a well-bred creature fine.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Mr. Towser Dog.]

He bayed at the moon as dogs do, And vented his gruff bow-wows, As he tagged my heels in the good old times When we went after the cows.

He'd roll in the gra.s.s with the babies, Or carry them on his back; He'd catch the ball the youngsters tossed, And follow the rabbit's track.

A boy's own dog, and a friendly Companion in peace or rows, As he tagged my heels in the good old times When we went after the cows.

He could talk with a doggish lingo In his own peculiar way, And I could understand it all-- Whatever he had to say.

He'd jump to my call at the moment, And utter his gruff bow-wows, As he tagged my heels in the good old times When we went after the cows.