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He was one of those lads that grow everywhere in England, and at twelve or thirteen years of age look as much alike as goslings, a lad with light-brown hair, cheeks of cream and roses, full lips, indeterminate nose and eyebrows, a physiognomy in which it seems impossible to discern anything but the generic character to boyhood; as different as possible from poor Maggie's phiz, which Nature seemed to have moulded and colored with the most decided intention.
The goslings are as much trouble to raise here as turkeys are at home. They have, at first, to be watched all day long for fear of their getting wet, and then there is always the danger of their being carried away by the stream. If it rains they are often driven into the sitting-room. Geese and eggs are the women's chief contributions to trade. Mrs. H. Green has not been so well again.
The eggs varied in size, some being as large as those of a goose, others not larger than a hen's egg, with a slight tinge of green. The nests were about two feet apart, and generally one old bird was found sitting on the nest, the young ones endeavouring in vain to nestle themselves under her wings. They were very like goslings, covered with a dark thick down.
A stupid old English custom of making fools of your friends on the 1st of May as well as on the 1st of April hardly deserves the title of a game. The victims were called "May goslings." One certainly would not expect to meet with anything like "Aunt Sally" among May-day games, especially with the "May Lady" for butt!
I stood with beating heart, after my retreat. It was Aunt Targood's gander. How he enjoyed his triumph, and how small and cowardly he made me feel! "Honk! honk! honk!" The geese came out of the lilac bushes, bowing their heads to him in admiration. Then came the goslings a long procession of awkward, half-feathered things; they appeared equally delighted.
I shall not begin to forget it now, and I hope to make the Delilah useful in the campaign; for there are goslings here, more than you would believe. Thank you for such an ally. You, at least, were not born to fail. Yours, A. Newt." "Goslings, are there? I believe you," said Belch to himself, inwardly chuckling as he read and folded Abel's letter. "Ally, hey?
As a blacksmith said once to me, when he was asked why he was not both blacksmith and whitesmith, 'The smith that will meddle with all things may go shoe the goslings; an old proverb, which, from its mixture of drollery and good sense, became ever after a favourite of mine.
"That is wretched work, only fit for an idiot," Grettir answered. "You do that properly," his father said, "and we shall get on better together." So Grettir went to mind the geese. There were fifty of them, and a number of goslings. Before long he began to find them troublesome, and the goslings would not come on quickly enough. This put him out, for he could never control his temper.
He knew well what he should do with the Egg. He had dreamt that it had been hatched by the Spae-Woman's old rheumatic goose. This goose was called Old Mother Hatchie and the Fox had never carried her off because he knew she was always hatching out goslings for his table. He went through the trees and across the fields towards the Spae-Woman's house.
"Therefore," says the diarist of the expedition, "some voyagers have not scrupled to state that the eggs grow on trees in Scotland, and that such of the fruits of those trees as fall into the water become goslings, while those which drop on the ground burst in pieces and come to nothing.
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