Story of the Three Geese, And of the astonishing Colony of Wild Geese in Kentucky. UT before we proceed with our promised story of the wrens an the oriole, we are sure our little readers will forgive us if we first tell them a very funny story about "The Three Geese," on the "Famous Farm." We had liked to have forgotten this story, and should have been sorry had we done so, for the lesson it conveys is a very singular and pleasing one, from the life of the animal world, especially as respecting a creature, so universally laughed at, and disregarded, as the poor simple goose. We had from the first noticed in the great flock, that went trailing so solemnly round and round our house, every night, a very handsome female; indeed, by far the handsomest goose of them all. We had observed also, that while nearly all the other lady geese had regularly paired off, and were each accompanied by a separate lord, this handsome one was always attended by two gallants.. As geese are very faithful to each other when they are paired, we were not a little surprised at this, especially when we perceived that there were several females, who always kept together, who had no mates at all. In a short time the handsome lady went to setting; and as she was the first of the flock who did so, all the eggs which had yet been laid were placed under her. As the little barrel-nest, in which she sat brooding, lay in front of our window, we had constant opportunities of observing her. You may not be aware that, in all the wild, as well as tame, varieties of this bird, when the female commences brooding, the male takes up his station, as sentinel on guard, beside her nest, which he never leaves beyond a discreet distance, from whence the spot is in full view, that he may protect her in her interesting office, from all intrusive foxes, minks, dogs, cats, or what not, that may approach her. Swans will even attack men, under such circumstances, without hesitation; and so great is the courage and vigor of their assaults, that they have been known to. break a man's arm, short off, with a single blow of the butt or shoulder of their powerful wing. We would not, therefore, have been surprised to see one gander on duty, at his post of guardianship, but we must confess we were surprised to see two. The same two we had observed escorting | goslings. First the admiration and wonher about; each jealous of the other, but der of her two friends excited our mirth equally vigilant. The largest and strong-but afterwards, when the whole surprisest of the two held the place of honor, ing miracle, of the entire new battalion close by her side, while the other occu- of little furzy yellow balls went rolling pied a position some three feet off. He and staggering about the yard, the never attempted to come an inch nearer, amazement of the entire flock of grown but that the stronger one instantly as- geese was too absurdly ludicrous to be sailed him. And what seemed very cu- fitly described. rious, although this constant warfare was, and had been constantly, going on between these rivals, when any intruder approached the nest, they both charged at the same instant upon it, and together drove it off. It was very quaint to watch madame, during these scenes; with what a demure expression she seemed to regard the joint exertions of her rival friends, on her behalf. She looked on with such an innocent air of placid sweetness, that it was enough to make a frosty Zeno laugh. What could it mean? It was clear that she was not the wife of both !-for neither polygamy nor bigamy is practised among these tribes. And from their simple and undeviating faith, in regard to their connubial relation, mankind might take, in these corrupt days, from the "silly goose," a most important lesson. What then could it mean? Was this some unnatural deviation from a general truth, or law? We had ascertained, beyond any doubt, that this was impossible. We will see if we cannot satisfactorily account for this interesting phenomenon. In due time, madame, "the beauty," hatched out an amazing brood of little As soon as the announcement of the new arrival had spread, they marched up to the scene, is phalanx, with stately waddling gait, their necks all slim in stretching wonder, their reddish goggle eyes looking as if they would burst from their heads. They formed in a circle, at a respectful distance; for when one of the little strangers would stagger towards them, they would scatter and run with an expression of stolid wonder would have made you shake your to witness. We do wonder what they thought 1 little monsters were? The curiosity mained unabated several days. They would follow them about, in procession, wherever they went, and so eager did they become at last, to examine them more closely, that the two champions of "Lady-beauty" found great ado to keep them at a respectful distance, and prevent the young from being trampled to death, with their great, splay, awkward feet. The third or fourth day, the genral flock seemed to have settled in their minds what these little strangers were, and they accordingly ceased to persecute them with their curiosity. During all this time, it was interesting and even touching to observe the un this is so touching, that we are sure that no little one, who reads this story of The Three Geese, will ever be found persecuting or throwing stones at these simple creatures. We had begun to suspect what the real story was, and after prosecuting the most vigilant inquiries into the history of the group, found out exactly how matters were. It seemed that "Lady-beauty" and the hindmost gander were both young people, and at pairing time, this young gallant made violent love to the recognized beauty of the flock. But, an older gander than he-a stronger-the tyrannical master and leader of the flock, had taken a fancy to her also, he having lost his own wife by some accident. He accordingly laid claim to her, and of which their broken feathers still showed the marks-between the two, which at length became so desperate that the mistress of the "Famous Farm" was compelled to separate them-placing one in confinement. When he was released the battles re-commenced, raging with even greater fury than before; for the younger, though worsted in each contest by the superior strength of his rival, still continued the conflict, whenever they met in the presence of the beauty they both coveted. privileged distance of three feet, off to | at once there ensued a series of battles one side, and a little in the rear, always keeping a vigilant look-out lest any of the little ones should fall too far behind -always ready to hurry it along, when its tired legs sank under it, and the panting ball of yellow down crouched itself in the crisp grass to rest. Or if, in its ambitious emulation, it rolled over, in the attempt to pluck a blade of grass too tough for his soft bill, and strength, then this watchful gander was sure to be near to lend a helping foot, or bill, to push him up to his weak feet again. He scemed even more attentive to these babies, than his favored rival. For many a time, when the large gander unmercifully walked over them, in his eagerness to march side by side with his lady, this patient fellow would stay behind, and allay the panic. Now the secret of all Things continued in this way until the younger one was nearly killed, and the mistress was obliged to confine him several weeks. When released, he found his rival fairly paired to the "beauty," and he seemed to give up the struggle. But his heart was too faithful to permit him to lose sight of her he loved, and | tinued his stroll, and the inspection of having relinquished all claim to her in his affairs. every other sense, he would not give up the humble privilege of being near her, of seeing her, and of helping her to protect her young, and serving in any humble but faithful office. Presently, to his surprise, his attention was attracted by a violent fluttering in the lake. He perceived to his sorrow, that the goose which was making agonizing efforts to rise from the water, must be severely wounded. For exert itself as it might, there was one wing which refused to do duty. Some reckless sportsman had evidently wrong Now this is a simple but literal story of humble fidelity in a goose, that shames the thousand high-flying and silly romances of human passion and affection. It is true every word of it-for weed it, that is, broken a joint of a wing, watched them faithfully, through the and it had tumbled headlong into the whole season, and when we left the pond, from its ærial voyage. Famous Farm" late in the year, precisely the same relation continued to exist between the three. The little man who reads this, will never throw stones at a poor goose again, and imagine that he has not a heart to be wounded and a body to be hurt! One more fact about geese before we close, and they are wild geese, this time. It is a very interesting incident to old children as well as young, and reveals a characteristic not much known, especially in the north. Some eight or ten years ago, a rich gentleman, a farmer, who is called Colonel Robert Scott, and lives about sixteen miles north of Frankport, Kentucky, on the Lexington railroad, was walking about his extensive premises very early one morning, when he observed a solitary wild goose, swimming hurriedly back and forth in a beautiful little fresh water pond, not far from his house. Supposing it would fly away, and being a good-hearted man, not disposed to injure wild creatures, he con It was terribly frightened, as it well. might be, at the sight of man, and besides, as it could get no food, was in danger of starvation. The good man's compassion was touched at the miserable plight of the stranger, and instantly issued orders that no one was, under any pretext, to trouble or frighten it, and from that day he regularly strewed the corn for it along the edges of the lake with his own hand, and this being continued the whole winter, by the time spring came there had gradually grown up a sort of intimacy between the amiable colonel and his crippled protegé. After a while the loud craunk! craunk! of his natural friends, returning from the bleak winter of the Arctic and Canada, towards the South, struck upon the ear of the solitary bird, and turning his eye aloft, the long V like line of which probably he had so often been the apex and the leader, were visible, floating high upon the journeying winds. Instantly, loud cries of welcome re sounded from the surface of the lake. There was an instantaneous pause of hesitancy, in the high-away lines, and the leader, fluttering from the steady beat of travel, wheeled on his broad wings about, followed by his double train. The cries of the solitary bird alone, were redoubled, with yet more conchlike resonance, and all doubt above, seemed to be at an end. It was the cry of a friend, which called down the travellers, and sweeping in broad gyrations, down and down they came, uttering clamorous cries of greeting, until, with a few short flappings, as they neared the surface, the whole flock was launched upon its clear waters. Surrounding their long-lost friend, such sonorous clamors of delight were never heard in that quiet region, before. After several minutes, when the first eager explanations were over, such splashing and diving, as there was, would have done your heart good to see. Even the poor prisoner, scarce knowing what he was about, in his bewildered joy, splashed, and washed, and dived, too, as eagerly as if he had just come from a flight across the world. The good farmer Scott, who witnessed the incident, was immensely pleased that his poor friend had at last met with his own people, and had probably heard pleasant news from that rush-home in fenny Labrador, over which he had so long grieved. He determined at once to offer them every attraction; so that an abundant supply of corn was thrown down. The thing was so well managed that although, in a short time, the great body of the flock, moved on, in their southern way, greatly refreshed by such generous hospitality, a few of the weaker or younger birds, we suppose, stayed behind to avail themselves of it-remaining the year round, as if to keep the old bird company. With the next spring, there were additions to the flock which came in the same way, and the colonists began to thrive apace, breeding upon the shores of the little lake, in undisturbed security. So the thing went on from year to year, until, when we last heard from this interesting flock, a year ago, it numbered about three hundred individuals, and it was a sight so interesting, to see the fine old Colonel scattering his buckets of corn, in the early morning, with all his three hundred pensioners, crowding and craunking around him, that people came from many miles to witness the sight, and it has now become one of the notorieties of the neighborhood of Frankfort. This is probably the only instance on record, of any extended success, in taming these wild and hunted denizens of air.. Now, after the evidences of intelligence and affection which we have given, we would advise any little reader, whom some ill-natured person may desire to · hurt by calling him or her a "little goose!" a "silly goose !" to say to that person, "perhaps you could afford to be called a goose, too, if you knew what Merry's Museum says about them !" |