Nothing so Silly as a Goose 87 



perate effort to escape, diving to the bottom and 

 beating the water into spray, then it gave it up as 

 useless and never afterward repeated its struggle 

 for liberty until that coveted possession came 

 almost by itself. When it was clearly convales- 

 cent, and might have been sent home had it been 

 a real patient in a hospital, the fracture having 

 knit and all appliances removed, its medical at- 

 tendant had a little yard built for it, half of which 

 was in the lake and half on the shore, but no top 

 was put over the four-foot wire fencing that made 

 up the enclosure as it was a question if that was 

 necessary in order to keep Canada in the United 

 States. If Canada felt any gratitude for the 

 treatment it was receiving its monarchial pride 

 may have had something to do with the fact that 

 it failed to mention it. 



The silence, dignity and utter loneliness of its 

 personality was not to be borne and its keeper, 

 hearing of a celebrated domestic Goose raised 

 by hand, like Pip, in "Great Expectations," and 

 christened "Bildad" in his downy youth, lost no 

 time in purchasing the same to act as guide, phil- 

 osopher and friend of the mysterious Canada. 

 Bildad was gorgonized with a stony British stare 

 and the Dominion would have none of him. Then 

 a Mrs. Goose was selected from Goose masses 

 and put between the possible rivals, but Canada 

 watched their betrothal with all the dignity that 



