“To-morrow, they will go out and eat the tender grass,” said Nurse.
“Then I shall catch them,” said Tommy.
“The old gander won’t let you,” said Nurse.
“Pooh! who’s afraid?” said Tommy very bravely.
So the next day Tommy tried to catch a gosling. Nurse had gone down cellar and the gander was in the goose-house. But the mother-goose hissed and the gander heard her and flew out of the goose-house after Tommy.
Tommy ran, but the gander caught hold of his clothes and began to beat Tommy’s legs with his wings. The old goose screamed, and Tommy ran and screamed, and the gander ran and screamed and whipped. What a noise they made! and Nurse ran up from the cellar to see what the matter was.
Just as Tommy went up the steps the gander bit both his red stockings. Nurse picked Tommy up and shut the door so the gander could not get in. Then she kissed Tommy, and cuddled him, and laughed, and said, “Who’s afraid?”
“I am,” sobbed Tommy. “And I want that old gander shut up in the barn. He isn’t good for anything.”
“Oh, yes, he is,” said Nurse, “he takes care of the goslings.”
The next day Tommy saw something very pretty. He was looking over the gate. He did not dare to go out for fear the gander would bite him again. He heard a gosling cry “peep, peep.” The goose and gander heard it too, and ran and looked down into a deep hole.