It was a time when being right was no consolation. At first it seemed nobody noticed. Next came a whole lot of whispering. The geese at least were serious –and loud. Maybe because they knew they were being fattened up for slaughter. They tried real hard to lay a golden egg –thinking that would save them from the dinner table, but no such luck. Junior didn’t know the first thing about where eggs come from, so if you told him his goose was laying golden ones he’d want to cut the poor thing open to get all the eggs at once. 

Just once I wish that geese would poke Junior in the eye or maybe bite his finger. They’re pretty fierce when they want to be –which is most of the time. They’re better watchdogs than the dogs themselves. The dogs themselves are afraid of them. And they don’t even have teeth. Do you suppose it’s because they’re so tall? Yeah, but people are tall too and the dogs aren’t afraid on that account. Maybe it has to do with the attitude the geese always seem to have –usually angry –how the term silly goose came about it beyond me. Almost every goose I’ve ever met has been mad about something. Maybe the silliest thing any of them ever tried to do was lay a golden egg. Usually they act like they’re trying to squeeze out a brick. We’re the silly ones if you ask me.

The other day Junior was walking the dog and trying to get far enough away so we wouldn’t be able to tell he was crying. I think he was mad cause we were picking on him again. Anyway, he was out walking the dog and the leash suddenly broke. You think we worried that the dog would run off and get lost? No way. It was Junior we were concerned about. Not that he was crying or at risk or anything. It’s not like he needs a dog for protection. It’s just that we live on a farm seized from people who were accused of witchcraft over 300 years ago. He thinks their ghosts are going to pop out and get him, and Junior fears that more than death itself. He thinks the dog keeps the ghosts at bay. Dogs: who knows what they’re thinking. They act like we’re stupid but in reality –Dogs? You must be joking. I never saw one with a lick of sense any more than what Junior’s got. And let me tell you, that boy is silly. I mean certifiable. I wouldn’t trust him with termites.