What a difference a day makes.

 

    "Gee Willikers, this mornin I was sittin in a tiny cage with a bunch of chickens, in the hot, hot sun. Just a little girl gosling without a name. All I had to drink was some old rusty water in an old rusty can, not enough water to wet one single webbed toe! Those chickens were poopin all over the place. It was awful dirty and stinky and crowded in that cage and I was feeling pretty, darn glum.  But then, this lady appeared, she looked at me and asked that old feller that stuck me in the cage,  'Is that a female?' 'Nope, the old feller says, 'Its a boy'.'Hm- mm.. she sighed, looking perplexed. 'I was looking for a female. How old is he?' 'About 4 weeks old', said the old feller. 'Hm-mm, I was looking for someone a bit older.  How much?' '$10', says Mr Old man. The lady looked me over, 'Poor little guy, she says. 'I"ll take him'. The old feller put me in a gunny sack, I didn't like it, I cried and cried. But the lady spoke softly to me, 'Don't worry little gosling, you are going to be just fine. I am taking you to a wonderful home, where you can splash and play  the live, long day. And we will give you a fine new name, and you will have a lot of new pals.' I still cried,..what if the new pals were chickens,,,, what if she named me Gus or Jimmy??!! Me being a girl and all. What if I have to live in this gunny sack?

 But she took me outta the sack and placed me in a large pink cage and away we went. We came to this new place..... she calls it my new home.

"Wow, said I,as I looked about. I LIKE my new home! There was enough green food to fill a little goslings tummy for many a day,,,, and there was water, water, everywhere! Enough water to dip my entire little goosey body in and wash away all that ooky chicken poop!

 And there were ducks, and geese,,,, just like me.

Maybe these people are my new pals?

"I wasn't too sure about these guys, they were a little grumpy, and awfully large and noisy....but they were of the goosey-kind so I stuck to them like glue, even though they were rather rude to me. But the tall one, he was kind and quite handsome.

"I ate, and ate and ate! Gosh, I nearly forgot my manners.

.

   " Trudy Webbytoes,(my new best friend), confided in me, I was to take the place of a former resident of the Hollow. Her name was Fiona Goosefeathers and they say their Mistress loved her dearly. But she recently met her demise in an unfortunate accident, they wouldn't tell me more than that, only that the Lady cried for two whole days!

 'Fiona was the resident garden guide AND the gossip columnist for the Hopalong Hollow Gazette, said Mavis, head chicken lady.' But I can assure you, that I will take care of all gossip from here on out!

'

 'And to start things out, let me advise you, young one, to steer clear of the fellows in the turqoise vests..... they think they are soooo superior! Humph!'

 "I inquired of the goose boys how could  I possibly follow in the goose steps of such a wonderful person as Fiona Goosefeathers, for I would surely fail to live up to my predecessors reputation!

' Just be yourself ,silly goose, said Hamish, the tall, handsome one. 'The mistress will love you no matter what, after all, she loves us.'

" Oh, he is so kind, and so understanding and handsome.... when I grow up, I am going to marry him.

    "It is going to be so very fine living here, in the Hollow.

 I feel like flying and honking with happiness!
From the tip of my bill...

 to the tips of my toes! Oh Joy!

 "And  The lady must have discovered that I AM a little girl, for she named me, Fiona Goosefeathers II.  Perhaps Mavis told her. I will try to live up to my new name, and make the mistress as happy as she has made me today."