Have you ever heard of any one having a real live goose for a pet?" said Uncle John to Willie and Tommy.
"Oh! do tell us all about it, uncle," said Tommy.
Now these two little boys loved to hear a nice story; and whenever their uncle came to live with them, they made him promise to come to their nursery every evening and tell them a story.
"Well," said Uncle John, when they had settled down, "this is a true story that I am going to tell you to-night."
"I know it is true, because I saw the goose not very long ago, and very funny he did look with his—"
"But I must begin at the beginning."
In a country village not very far from the seaside lived a little boy and girl with their father and mother.
Now these people were very, very poor.
It was drawing very near to Christmas time, and they were thinking of all the nice presents and things that little boys like you would be sure to get on Christmas morning.
Said Robbie (for that was the boy's name) to his sister,—
"Mamie, do you think Father Christmas will bring us anything this year?"
"I do hope so," said Mamie. "I have tried to be good."
"What would you like?" said Robbie.
"Well," said Mamie, who was thinking hard, "I think I should like something that we could all share—father and mother as well."
"But what could that be?" asked Robbie in surprise.
"Well, I have thought of something," said Mamie, "but I am afraid you will laugh at me if I tell you."
"Oh no, I won't," cried Robbie. "Do tell me what it is."
"I shall tell you," said Mamie, "if you promise faithfully not to laugh."
"I promise faithfully," answered Robbie.
"Well," Mamie went on, "I thought that I should like Father Christmas to send me a goose, and then we could all have it for dinner on Christmas day."
"That would be jolly," said Robbie. "What a surprise father and mother would get!"
"Yes, that is what I thought," said Mamie, much relieved that Robbie did not laugh. "Let us both call up the chimney now and ask Father Christmas if he will send us one."
So Robbie and Mamie shouted up the chimney together, and what a noise they did make! This is what they said:—
"Please, Father Christmas, we should like a lovely big goose for Christmas instead of a present for our stockings."
"I wonder if he heard," said Robbie and Mamie together.
But Father Christmas did hear. For there was a tiny little fairy listening all the time, and she caught the message in one of her wings, and flew right away there and then to give it to Santa Claus.
The next morning Robbie and Mamie ran out into the garden, and what do you think they saw?
"Oh, oh!" cried Mamie.
"Oh, oh!" cried Robbie.
"It has come," they both said together.
And there waddling about on the grass was a large goose.
They ran away to tell their mother, and she said,—
"Well, we must give it something to eat."
So Robbie and Mamie fed it, not only that morning, but every morning.
By-and-by this goose became very tame, and was soon the pet of the family.
"I am afraid we shall never have him for dinner now," said Robbie.
"Oh no," answered Mamie; "I could not bear to eat him, he is such a darling."
So they kept him and gave him the name of John Willie.
"And now," said Uncle John, "if you are good children, I will take you to see this strange pet some fine day.
"You will see it going for a walk with its master. It sometimes walks along beside him for miles and miles, with a slow, stately tread.
"Or you may see it sitting on its master's shoulder while he sits and reads.
"It will also feed out of your hand as dainty as—well, as a goose can."
"What a jolly story!" said Tommy.
"I wish I had a goose," said Willie.