Once upon a time...

Once upon a time there were 5 big, beautiful, smooth goose eggs. These goose eggs had no mother goose to tend them so they were given as a gift to a little family that lived on a hill. The family loved the goose eggs, even when they were still just eggs.

The mother, who was a tall and lovely woman, put the eggs in a special box to keep them warm and safe. The little family watched over the eggs day after day and waited patiently for the day to come when the eggs would hatch.

Finally the day came and the little goslings came into the world with much peeping and excitement. The children all gathered around to see the tiny little beings that had emerged from the eggs they had watched over for so long. The family was so happy to see all the little goslings that they vowed to always care for and protect the little goslings as if they were members of the family.

And so they did. The little goslings soon learned to walk about the grassy hills following the tall and lovely mother as if she were their own mother, which really she was for all they knew. They would follow her and gather at her feet making the sweetest little "peep, peep" sounds and the tall and lovely mother would look upon them with sheer delight.

The children would sit with the little goslings and talk to them softly. The goslings were sure that these children were indeed part of the flock and so they followed even the children over the grassy hills to walk and make warbly noises in the bright spring sunshine.

So the days of spring fluttered by. The little goslings grew and spent more and more time on the grassy hills with the little family. One day the family decided it was time for the little goslings to have a bit of water to play in so that they could be like big geese and eventually learn to swim.

The Llama Lady bestowed upon the family a swimming bucket for the little goslings and the family filled it with cool, clear water. The little goslings were afraid of the swimming bucket and so would not venture in. The family talked with the goslings and encouraged them but alas, the goslings would only drink from the swimming bucket.

"Mother, our goslings will not swim!" said the children.

"Don't rush them", said the tall and lovely mother, "they will grow brave in their own time just like you. Then they will swim like big geese and we will be very proud."

And so spring turned to summer and the little goslings grew. The family did love the little goslings and spent much time with them walking the grassy hills. The goslings met the goats and the chickens and all the other animals that lived with the family. The family even took the little goslings on exciting adventures into the woods. There they would visit with toads and watch the leaves on the tall trees flutter in the breeze.

The little goslings always felt safe with the tall and lovely mother and the little children and the father of the family.

The goslings grew bigger and bigger and soon began to grow tiny feather tips through their fuzzy baby down. The mother knew that the little goslings were growing so fast and would soon be big geese. She wondered if the geese would still love the family and stay close by. She wondered if the children would still spend time with the geese. She wondered if she would still be able to walk the grassy hills with them when they were grown and didn't need a mother to watch over them.

Eventually the little goslings did learn to swim. Oh, what a proud and exciting day! They splashed in the water and carried on like children at a beach! They made happy noises, they jumped into the water and they jumped out of the water. The dunked their heads and swayed their graceful necks in delight.

Soon the goslings outgrew their little swimming bucket and so the family brought them a bigger swimming pond. It was a bright blue pond decorated with colorful fish and it was big enough for all 5 goslings to play and swim and splash.

And so the goslings grew into geese. All of their fuzzy baby down was replaced with sleek white feathers. The family thought the geese were the most beautiful things they had ever seen.

The geese walked so nicely in a calm little bunch everywhere they went. They waddled and warbled to each other and always stayed close by. They walked the grassy hills all day long even when the family was busy inside the house. They walked the same paths the mother had walked with them when they were little and they never went anywhere else. They often sat near the front porch where they could hear the family through an open window and see the children peering out at them. Sometimes they wandered to the edge of the woods where the mother had put their swimming pond in a shady place just for them. There they could swim and relax in safety. They could nap in the cool grass under the shade trees and even visit the goats who spent their days grazing on the hill.

But always the family brought the geese into the fenced area at night because coyotes wandered not far away in the mountain and surely coyotes would make a meal of geese!

One day a new puppy was brought to live with the family. The geese were very afraid of the new puppy because he was so big and he was so fast and he was so very excited when he saw them! But the mother gave the puppy a good talk'in-to and explained to him that the geese where part of the family and that he was never to chase the geese. She watched the puppy closely and allowed him to walk with her and the geese and soon the geese felt safe even with the big puppy.

So the geese spent their days quite happy and they worried about nothing. The mother was so relieved that the geese still loved the family and stayed close by. The children would feed the geese lettuces which the geese gobbled up. The littlest child, a fair girl, would giggle as the geese nibbled at the hem of her dress.

Then one day a terrible thing happened!

The tall and lovely mother was in the kitchen when suddenly the eldest daughter, who had been outside, flung open the front door and cried "Mother, Mother! Come quickly! A wolf is after the geese!"

The mother ran outside to see that there was, indeed, a wolf after the geese! The geese were screaming and running as the wolf tore their feathers from their bodies and they could not get away.

The mother told the daughter to go inside and the mother, alone, went to save the geese with only a broomstick.

The tall and lovely mother ran to her geese and she yelled at the wolf! She yelled words even drunken sailors have never heard! She yelled and yelled and still the wolf would not stop! The geese were crying, the mother was crying, and still the wolf would not stop! The geese scattered... one went this way to the hill, a few went that way to the woods and still the wolf would not stop. So the mother fell upon the wolf with only her broomstick and she proceeded to beat the shit out of him! She beat him and then drug him by his scruff up to the porch and tied him to a porch-rail with a piece of twine.

With the wolf subdued and tied, the mother went to search for the geese. The eldest son had heard the commotion and come outside to help. He helped the mother find the geese.

Feathers were strewn everywhere over the hill. 4 of the geese came running back to the mother. They seemed to be okay even if they were quite frightened and missing some feathers.

The 5th goose, in his desperation to escape the wolf, had flung himself over a hill and into a gully full of jaggy growth. The mother found him there and he was dirty and panting and bleeding. The mother and the son had to go in to get the goose for he was too injured and too afraid to come out on his own. Upon inspection, the mother realized he had a large bite in his side.

The mother carried the goose the the house and called the town vet who told her he could nothing for a goose. Distraught, the mother called another town vet who agreed to see the goose.

The mother also called the dog catcher!

The children all went with the mother to the vet to see if he could save the goose. The vet looked a bit perplexed and admitted he had never treated a goose before but said he would do what he could. He cleaned the bite wound and gave the goose some medicine to ward off infection. The goose was quite stressed from the ordeal and the vet warned the family that birds in general tend to stress to the point of falling into shock and that they should keep the goose quiet and as calm as possible for a few days.

After several very tense days all the geese did recover. The one that had been so badly bitten limped but did better every day.

The mother was so upset that this had happened. She felt bad for the geese because they were afraid and hurt. She felt bad that she could no longer let them be free to wander the hills in the sunshine. She even felt bad for the wolf because he didn't know any better than to attack innocent geese that were loved by a family.

So now the geese only walk the hills when their family can walk with them and the mother tends to carry big sticks. The children are wary of wolves more than ever and the father plans to build a bigger fence that will encircle the entire area of the grassy hills.

THE END

I swear all the above is true... except the part about the wolf... I mean, it did all happen only it wasn't a wolf it was the pissy little terrier from down the road. The local Dog Officer came and got him and actually knew where he came from and so returned him to his family (along with a citation).

The trip to the vet was the most stressful of all. I mean, we live in the middle of No-where and there's more livestock than people and yet the livestock vet and all his staff gathered into the little vet room and stared at my goose like they had never seen one before. Apparently they never had, at least not in the vet's office.

And let me be the first to tell you that giving liquid antibiotics to a goose twice a day is not easy.

I feel really bad about the whole thing because we are so careful to keep all our animals safe. They are all fenced in close to the house at night because we really do have coyotes and there's even been a mountain lion spotted at the other end of town. Its so quiet here on our hill that I never even gave a thought to something like this happening during the day and I feel like its my fault for not keeping them safe enough.

Apparently the dog that caused it all is a "problem dog". The Dog Officer told me he's had complaints about him before and even returned him to his home before. He even knew his name... Kujo (no kidding). Irresponsible pet owners are the worst.

So now we keep the Goosers penned up even during the day unless I am able to stay outside with them. Its so sad for them because they are the sweetest things and don't understand why they can't go rest under their favorite tree. Hopefully by next spring we'll be able to fence in our entire property ($$$) so we can let our Goosers wander again.

So here's to a sunny weekend with enough time. Enough time to wander the hills and sit with the Goosers.
And maybe knit.

Comments

What a wonderful story! Tragic, but still wonderful!
I once had an encounter with an injured goose, one of the most surreal, yet amazing things I've ever experienced.
My partner and I had gone to buy a camper for our truck from a man and his wife, who lived on a dog ranch. Just after looking around inside, we hear a funny *honrk* *hoinrk* outside. We step out of the trailer, and a beautiful gray goose was waddling across their yard, apparently playing with something. As it got closer I recognized it as a small coffee drink can, and the goose looked quite distressed. It turned out that the can was stuck to the top part of the goose's bill, and it was bleeding! It took several minuets to get the goose cornered, but finally we did. I sad in the dirt with the goose in my lap, and gently removed the can. That goose let me hold it for quite a while, without struggle, and every once and awhile it would softly honk as I pet it.

[deltadawn]

Oh what a lovely story! Except for Kujo - and it was most certainly NOT your fault - unfortunately, nature's (and the dog's owner's) fault. I was trying to picture you dragging a wolf by the scruff of its neck - glad it was just a terrier.

You have very, very lucky geese to have you as their mom, and your kids are lucky to have you and this experience too!

[kt]

You are a superb storyteller.

And methinks you wield a mighty broomstick....

kisses to the goosers and all on your little hill.

[Dannette]

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

That was all I could think of when reading about the little eggs, and baby birds joining the family. Your little story made me laugh and tear up all at the same time!! I love your corner of the world!!

[Amy]

I was thinking children's story as well - and I also laughed out loud about the wolf! I was picturing you taking on an actual wolf, and I couldn't believe you got him tied to the porch!!!

ps - should be required reading for all dog owners!!!!!!

[bezzie]

Holy crap. At first I thought you were NUTS for going after a wolf--but ok, a terrier, I'll buy that ;-)

I grew up where damn people let their damn dogs run amuck. While we didn't have geese, I can sympathize. And imagining you going after the terrier brough up memories of my own mother chasing away the neighborhood dogs!

[Debbie]

Oh! This is a GREAT children's story, except for the part about beating the shit out of the wolf!!! I was laughing hysterically! I wondered where you lived that you had to contend with wolves! I'm glad the goose survived. Whew. I really could see this as a children's story!

[Schmobes]

How sad! I am glad the geese are ok. And yes, irresponsible pet owners are the WORST!

[Nik]

I really enjoyed reading this little story of yours.