THE GOOSE
I knew an old wife lean and poor,
Her rags scarce held together;
There strode a stranger to the door,
And it was windy weather.
…
He held a goose upon his arm,
He uttered rhyme and reason,
“Here, take the goose, and keep you warm,
It is a stormy season.”
…
She caught the white goose by the leg,
A goose – t’was no greater matter.
The goose let fall a golden egg
With cackle and with clatter.
…
She dropped the goose, and caught the pelf
And ran to tell her neighbors;
And blessed herself, and cursed herself,
And rested from her labors.
…
And feeding high, and living soft,
Grew plump and able-bodied;
Until the grave churchwarden doffed,
The parson smirked and nodded.
…
So sitting, served by man and maid,
She felt her heart grow prouder:
But ah! The more the white goose laid
It clacked and cackled louder.
…
It cluttered here, it chuckled there;
It stirred the old wife’s mettle:
She shifted in her elbow-chair,
And hurled the pan and kettle.
…
“A quinsy choke thy cursed note!”
Then waxed her anger stronger.
Go take the goose, and wring her throat;
I will not bear it longer.”
…
Then yelped the cur, and yawled the cat;
Ran Gaffer, stumbled Gammer.
The goose flew this way and flew that,
And filled the house with clamour.
…
As head and heels upon the floor
They floundered all together,
There strode a stranger to the door,
And it was windy weather:
…
He took the goose upon his arm,
He uttered words of scorning;
“So keep you cold or keep you warm,
It is a stormy morning.”
…
The wild wind rang from park and plain,
And round the attics rumbled,
Till all the tables danced again,
And half the chimney’s tumbled.
…
The glass blew in, the fire blew out,
The blast was hard and harder.
Her cap blew off, her gown blew up,
And a whirlwind cleared the larder;
And while on all sides breaking loose
Her household fled the danger,
Quoth she, “The devil take the goose,
And God forget the stranger!”
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