THE GREY GOOSE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 176, 15 October 1927, Page 31 (Supplement)

THE GREY GOOSE

There was a grey goose who thought she was the queen of all the creatures on the common. She stuck out her neck, and hissed, and ran at all who annoyed her. All the other creatures were afraid of her except the grey donkey, and he never took any notice of her or anyone else. The grey goose got so proud and cross at last that the cocks and hens came to the grey donkey, and asked him to help them to keep her in order. The ducks did not mind the grey goose, you see, because they were always on the water, and she always stayed on land; but the hens were afraid of their chicks getting pecked, the grey goose was so very cross these days. So they begged the cocks to take them to the donkey, who was a most wise old person. He listened very carefully to them. “What you roust do,” he said, “is to follow the grey goose wherever she goes all day; do not say a word, just follow her. All keep close together, so that she can’t run at you. and peck you. She will hate being followed, and learn to behave.” And it happened as he said. All the birds, even the ducks, followed the grey goose all day. And it made her so miserable that she at last begged them to leave her alone. “If only you will, I will leave you alone and be kind to the little ones.” So that clever donkey was right.