218 BIRDS AND MAN 



the kitchen door into the open, and the sun in a 

 blue sky shining on a dazzhng wliite and silent 

 world. But no milkman was going his rounds, 

 and there would be no baker nor butcher nor any 

 other tradesman to call for orders. And there 

 were no provisions in the house ! But the milk 

 for breakfast was the first thing needed, and so 

 with a jug in his hand he went bravely out to try 

 and make his way to the milk shop which was not 

 far off. 



A wall and hedge bounded his front garden on 

 one side, and this was now entirely covered by an 

 immense snowdrift, sloping up to a height of about 

 seven feet. It was only when he paused to look 

 at this vast snow heap in his garden that he caught 

 sight of a goose, a very big snow-white bird without 

 a grey spot in its plumage, standing within a few 

 yards of him, about four feet from the ground. 

 Its entire snowy whiteness with snow for a back- 

 ground had prevented him from seeing it until he 

 looked directly at it. He stood still gazing in 

 astonishment and admiration at this noble bird, 

 standing so motionless with its head raised high 

 that it was hke the figure of a goose carved out of 

 some crystalline white stone and set up at that 

 spot on the gUttering snowdrift. But it was no 



