Mother Goose

It was the stuff of which childhood nightmares are made. On today's walk a small red-headed girl, about age 5, got between a mama goose and her eight goslings. It wasn't her intention to do so. The goslings had just crossed the sidewalk, leaving their mother on the other side, when the child stepped between them on the path to watch the babies. Instantly, mother goose alerted and stepped closer. The little girl froze. Mother goose stretched her neck tall, eye level with girl, and hissed---complete with fluttering tongue. The girl screamed, the goose hissed more vehemetly. Had the girl's own mother not jerked her out of harm's way, I believe the goose would have attacked. I understood why the girl screamed. I stepped back myself. May I never have a mother goose look me in the eye and hiss.