"Indeed I have," Mrs. Goose replied quickly. "Surely I ought to know all
about her, for she was a great-great-grandmother of mine, and if I'm not
mistaken, some of our family have her picture which Mr. Ape painted,
when he set himself up as an artist. That is another case where
discontent, when matters were going on as well as ever could have been
expected, brought its punishment."
"How can that be?" your Aunt Amy asked quickly. "The man killed the
goose which was bringing in so much gold, and it surely seems as if she
received the most severe punishment."
"That would be right if the story, as Mr. Man tells it, was true," Mrs.
Goose said sharply; "but it is not, and however it got so twisted I
can't for the life of me understand. Now if that goose was my
great-great-grandmother, I ought to know all about it, and I do, for
I've heard Grandfather White Goose tell it more times than I've got
feathers in my left wing.
"Would you like to know how it all really happened? Well, I'll tell you,
and remember that I'm the one among all others on this farm who should
know the exact truth. She was a gray goose, the one who laid the eggs,
and looked very much like me, so grandfather says. The Mr. Man where she
lived was very kind, and actually gave her a bedroom in his own house.
No matter what she wanted to eat, he bought it for her, and all the eggs
she laid he spread out on a kind of desk or table which had been built
especially for them.
"Every morning when she had laid the egg, Mr. Man took her into the room
where they were all spread out, and let her see him put it safely away.
"Now, so grandfather says, Mrs. Goose was petted so much, and had so
many good things to eat, that she began to believe she was something
wonderful, and I really suppose she was, being the only bird that ever
laid golden eggs. But she got all puffed up with pride, and thought she
ought to live without doing any kind of work, so one day while she was
watching Mr. Man take care of the eggs, she saw a big knife hanging up,
and asked why it was kept there.
"'I did have it to kill geese with; but now, since you're the only goose
I want, it isn't used.' Mr. Man said, and Mrs. Goose asked:
"'Is it sharp?'
"'Oh dear, yes, just like a razor,' Mr. Man said, still looking at the
eggs.
"'Well, do you know I'm tired of doing so much work,' foolish Mrs. Goose
said, 'and I've been thinking that you might fix things so I wouldn't be
tied down to this egg-laying every day. Surely _I_ ought to live in
comfort.'
[Illustration: Mrs. Goose watches Mr. Man as he takes the golden eggs
out of the basket.]
"'That is what I intend you shall be able to do,' Mr. Man answered, for
he wanted to keep her contented. 'Is there anything more you need, Mrs.
Goose?'
"'I want to live without doing any kind of work,' Mrs. Goose said, as if
she was the most abused bird in the world.
"'But then how could we get these beautiful eggs?' Mr. Man cried.
'Surely you take as much pleasure in them as I do!
"'All that may be; but it is a great exertion to lay one every day, and
no sooner is the work finished than I think of the same task to be done
on the morrow, until I'm on the verge of nervous prostration,' and Mrs.
Goose waddled up and down the room as if she was a living skeleton,
instead of the fattest bird that ever walked.
"'But what can I do, my dear creature?' Mr. Man cried in real distress,
for he was afraid she might refuse to lay any more golden eggs, and that
would have nearly broken his heart.
"'Why not take that knife and cut through my feathers till you find an
egg. I am quite fat on my stomach, and it wouldn't do me the least
little bit of harm. Then all I'd have to do would be to come in here,
and let you take the egg out.'
"Well, Mr. Man said everything he could think of to persuade the foolish
goose that it was best to let well enough alone; but she coaxed and
scolded, and finally declared flatly that unless he did as she wanted,
she'd go out of the egg business entirely.
"Of course, after that, Mr. Man couldn't do any less than what she asked
for, and although he used the knife very carefully, Mrs. Goose died
before he found a single egg. Now that is the truth of the story, as my
grandfather tells it," Mrs. Gray Goose continued, "and there is no
question in my mind but that it is as true as the one you have heard so
many times."
"It surely seems more reasonable," your Aunt Amy said thoughtfully, "for
nobody but a goose could have even dreamed that it would be best to cut
a bird open to get at the eggs more quickly."
"That is very true," Mrs. Gray Goose replied; "but you must bear in mind
that we who wear feathers are not the only geese in the world. I could
point out a good many who would feel insulted if we claimed relationship
with them. Mr. Man's boy Johnny makes a bigger goose of himself than I
am, many a time, and it's no longer ago than yesterday, when Mr. Fido
Dog showed how near he came to being my cousin."
"Tell me the story," your Aunt Amy suggested, and Mrs. Goose began
without delay: