70 THOSE OTHER ANIMALS. 



loudly, are sufficiently alarming to the average woman, 

 and terrifying in the extreme to a child, and even animals 

 vastly superior in bulk and strength exhibit signs of 

 trepidation when thus assailed. As might be expected, 

 the goose is not particular as to its rations, and will eat 

 anything. It will browse upon water weeds, it will graze 

 on grass, it delights in corn, and will eat scraps of any 

 kind of food. The final result of all this is eminently 

 satisfactory. It is doubtful whether any kind of bird affords 

 such excellent eating. Were the goose a rare bird, and its 

 flesh so costly as to be seen only on the tables of the 

 wealthy, it is probable that it would be considered as the 

 very greatest of luxuries. Owing, however, to its numbers, 

 and the manner in which it picks up its own living, it 

 requires but little outlay in its rearing. Its flesh is so 

 plentiful that at certain seasons of the year it can actually 

 be purchased at a lower rate than butcher's meat. At 

 Christmas time geese can be bought in London at sixpence 

 a pound, and the goose can fairly claim to be the working 

 man's greatest luxury in the way of food. 



Although fashion has ordained that the turkey shall 

 occupy the place of honour on the Christmas board of the 

 well-to-do, the flesh of that bird is dry and tasteless in 

 comparison to the juicy and well-flavoured meat of the 

 goose. But, in addition to supplying man with some of 

 his most tasty food, the goose also bestows upon him the 

 most comfortable of beds. It is true that the hand of 

 innovation has produced many contrivances of steel and 

 iron, with complications of springs, to produce the same 

 effect of elasticity as the bed stuffed with good goose 

 feathers, and it may be owned that in summer time the 



