The Boy and the Goose Family

Seven-year-old Leo visits the village pond each morning, where he discovers a goose family: a tall Papa Goose with a red band on one leg, a gentle Mama Goose, and three fluffy yellow-grey goslings that hatch one spring morning. From behind a willow tree, he crouches and watches the clumsy babies tumble after their mother, returning again and again without ever tiring of them.

When other visitors learn about the goslings, the pond becomes noisy. Children crowd the nest, Papa Goose hisses until he is hoarse, and Mama Goose hurries her frightened babies into the reeds. Watching from his willow tree, Leo understands what the crowd does not: the goose family needs quiet and privacy, just as his own family values quiet time at home. This gentle story by Jane MEADOW follows a small boy who solves a problem with thoughtfulness rather than confrontation, and it shows young readers how observing wildlife responsibly can make room for both people and animals. The tale can be read on Kids Tale Book.