154 
FINDING NATURE’S TREASURES 
“They nest up in Canada/' was the reply, “where there 
are many lakes. When the baby geese hatch, they can go 
swimming every day in fresh clean water." 
“I would like to fly along through the air as they are 
doing," said Buddy. “It would be great fun to look down 
and see houses, trees, rivers, and other things. I would 
like to live up in Canada a part of the year, and by the 
Gulf of Mexico the rest of the year." 
“But how do they find their way so far?" asked 
Marylee. 
“See the one in the front," said Uncle Jack. “That is 
their leader. He is a wise old gander who has made the 
trip before. He knows the country and guides them by 
day and by night with his honking call. But if the clouds 
get too thick and low, he may lose his way. Then the 
geese become frightened and will come down to the 
ground. Sometimes they get so frightened that they fly 
against something and hurt themselves. Let me tell you 
a true story about a wild goose. 
“One winter he was flying south with his companions. 
He had reached Texas. Then one day he was hurt. He 
came down near a farmer's house where there were some 
tame geese. The tame geese took him in as one of them. 
He stayed all that year with the farmer's flock. His hurt 
wing healed. One day the next winter, he heard in the 
air the honk, honk, of the wild geese from Canada flying 
south again. He remembered his old free life. He for¬ 
got his new friends, rose on his wings, and flew off with 
the flying flock." 
