146 JUNGLE FOLK 



produces a picture of the ladies of a Sultan's harem 

 dancing unveiled before a distinguished company of 

 gentlemen, one begins to wonder whether truth really 

 is stranger than fiction. However, I see no reason to 

 doubt the substantial accuracy of the story of the 

 Yorkshire gander. The goose is an exceptionally 

 intelHgent bird and is very easily tamed. I once made 

 friends with a goose in the Zoological Gardens at 

 Lahore. It was a white, bazaar-bred bird. Whenever 

 it saw me it used to walk up to the fence and emit a low 

 note of welcome. I was able to distinguish that 

 particular bird from the other geese by the fact that a 

 piece had been broken off its upper mandible. 



I am glad to notice that Mr. W. H. Hudson, one of 

 the leading British ornithologists, has a high opinion 

 of the goose. In his Birds and Man he gives a delight- 

 ful account of the home-coming of a flock of tame 

 geese led by a gander. ^ He writes : " Arrived at the 

 wooden gate of the garden in front of the cottage, the 

 leading bird drew up square before it, and with re- 

 peated loud screams demanded admittance. Pretty 

 soon in response to the summons, a man came out of 

 the cottage, walked briskly down the garden-path and 

 opened the gate, but only wide enough to put his right 

 leg through ; then placing his foot and knee against 

 the leading bird he thrust him roughly back ; as he did 

 so three young geese pressed forward and were allowed 

 to pass in ; then the gate was slammed in the face 

 of the gander and the rest of his followers, and the 

 man went back to the cottage. The gander's indigna- 

 tion was fine to see, though he had probably experienced 



