Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 June 1890 — GANDER AND RAT. [ARTICLE]

GANDER AND RAT.

Summary Revenge for the Death of a Gosling. A goose on the Lingle farm hatched out a fine family of goslings last week, says a letter in the New York Sun. She and her ma 1 ©, an imported gander, have been assiduous in their attentions to the downy, little yellow things, but in spite of that a big Norway rat, hordes of whose kind infest the outbuildings on the farm, was smart enough to elude the watchful eyes of a the old goose and gander, and a day or so ago captured one of the goslings and dragged it to his lair under the barn. A few feet from the barn is a low horse-trough, which is kept constantly filled with water. There is a hole three inches in circumference under the foundation of the barn which is a runway for rats, and it was into this that the rat dragged the gosling. The two old geese indulged in noisy lamentations for some time over the loss of their little one, and than an idea seemed to strike the gander, He and his mate held a sort of confab in subdued tones, and then they both became quiet. The gander waddled up to the rat hole under the foundation of the barn and took a position at one side of it. lie stood there motionless and patient, with his eye fixed on the hble. He had stood ten minutes or more when the head of a rat was poked out as far as the shoulders. Quick as a flash the gander hurled its head against the rat’s and it’s strong bill closed over its neck. The rat squealed and struggled but couldn’t get away. The mother goose set up a vociferous and triumphant squawking, and the gander waddled as fast as he could to the horse-trough.’ He shoved the rat under the water and held him there until he was drowned. Then the gander threw the carcass on the ground and the old geese picked and tore it until scattered in bits about the barn-yard. Whether tlie rat was the one that kidnaped the gosjing is of course not known, but tho geese were satisfied with their vengeance, and after tearing the dead rat to pieces joyfully conducted their family of goslings to the duck pond and gave them their first exercise in awimmincr.