THE WILD GOOSE 109 



pearance, but let us go deeper before forming a fixed 

 opinion. ' ' 



"I see what you are up to, Uncle, " interrupted 

 Jules; "you are taking up your favorite refrain, the 

 praise of the slandered. A while ago you extolled 

 the two ugliest of creatures, the bat and the toad; 

 now you are going to undertake the defense of the 

 goose and clear it of the slander it suffers in being 

 called silly. " 



"Why should I deny it, my child? Yes, my 

 favorite occupation is pleading the cause of the 

 weak, the miserable, the traduced, the outlawed. 

 The strong and the powerful are not wanting in ad- 

 mirers, so I can pass them over very quickly; but 

 I should reproach myself all my life were I to for- 

 get the forsaken and not bring to light their good 

 qualities, unrecognized and, indeed, too often shame- 

 fully misrepresented as they are. As to its treat- 

 ment, the goose needs no pleading of mine : it is too 

 valuable to us not to be taken care of as it deserves. 

 The only reproach I have to bring has to do with 

 the reputation for stupidity it has been made to bear. 

 I am well aware that the goose, as a sensible creature, 

 is superbly indifferent to this calumny, and I offer 

 it my congratulations; but, after all, this false re- 

 pute is an instance of error, and wherever I find 

 error I give it battle. 



"First, I will show you the goose as an adept in 

 geography. In spite of our books, maps, and atlases, 

 how the reputedly silly bird would surpass all of 

 us and many others ! Know that in its wild state 



