The Goose in the Vegetable Patch
Chapter 1The White Visitor
A goose stood among Zeidy's lettuces.
It was white, broad, and much less impressed by the garden than Shloimy expected.
It lowered its head toward a leaf.
"No!" Shloimy called.
The goose lifted its head and stared.
Shloimy had watered that row all week. He had even straightened the little wooden labels after the rain.
His cousin Mordy came along the path carrying a basket.
"Is that Mr. Katz's goose?"
Beyond the fence, Mr. Katz kept two geese in a small enclosure. Shloimy could see one through the wire. The other was standing in his lettuce.
The garden gate was open.
Shloimy spread his arms and stepped toward the bird.
It waddled away from him, right through Mordy's radish row.
Chapter 2A Successful Chase
Mordy ran around the other side of the bed.
The goose hurried between them toward the gate. It flapped once, sending a dry leaf into the air.
"There!" Shloimy said.
The bird went through the open gate and onto the narrow strip beside the fence.
Shloimy closed the gate.
He brushed dirt from his hands, although he had not touched any dirt.
"Finished."
Mordy looked at two flattened radish leaves.
"It went through mine."
"It is out now."
They went back to their rows. Shloimy checked the lettuces carefully. One leaf had a torn edge. The plants still stood.
He was bending over the last label when Mordy shouted.
The goose was back.
Chapter 3Not the Gate
This time it stood beside the carrot bed.
Shloimy ran to the gate.
Still closed.
He shook the latch. It stayed firm.
"You must have opened it," he told Mordy.
Mordy held up his basket. It was full of small radishes.
"I have been here."
The goose took two slow steps toward them.
Both boys moved back.
Zeidy came out of the shed carrying a watering can.
"Do not chase it again," he said. "Come onto the path."
Shloimy wanted to show him how easily they had moved it the first time.
Then the goose stretched its neck and gave a loud hiss.
Shloimy came onto the path.
Zeidy put down the can.
"Leave it room. I will get Mr. Katz."
Chapter 4The Low Gap
While Zeidy called to Mr. Katz across the adjoining yard, the boys stood near the shed.
From there, Mordy could see the bottom of the fence behind the compost bin.
One section of wire curved upward.
A shallow dip in the soil left a gap beneath it.
"Look there."
Shloimy looked from the closed gate to the low opening.
The goose had two ways into the garden. They had closed only the one they happened to use.
Zeidy came back with Mr. Katz, who carried a light wooden panel.
"The ground washed away under that section," Mr. Katz said. "I did not see it from my side."
He asked the boys to wait beside the shed while he moved the goose.
Zeidy held the garden gate wide. Mr. Katz kept the panel between himself and the bird, leaving a clear way toward its enclosure.
The goose waddled along the path. Nobody ran after it.
When it was safely behind its own gate, Mr. Katz latched it.
Chapter 5Both Gardens
Mr. Katz checked the enclosure fence from end to end. Zeidy helped him put a temporary board across the low gap until it could be repaired properly.
The boys carried loose tools away from the path.
Then Zeidy returned to the vegetable beds.
Shloimy pointed to his torn lettuce leaf.
"That one will still grow," Zeidy said.
He looked at the radishes and carrots too.
Mordy had lifted the bent leaves gently. Some straightened. One small radish had come loose and lay beside the row.
"We sent it right through here," Mordy said.
Shloimy remembered saying it was finished while Mordy looked at his plants.
He had meant that his lettuce was safe.
"I should not have blamed you for the gate," he said.
Mordy put the loose radish into his basket.
"I did not like being blamed."
Shloimy nodded. He picked up an empty basket.
"Which row needs help first?"
Chapter 6The New Inspection
The boys worked beside Zeidy. They did not push broken leaves back as though nothing had happened. They cleared the loose ones and left the growing plants alone.
Mordy's basket held fewer radishes than he had hoped for, but there were enough for supper.
Before putting away the watering cans, Shloimy walked along the garden fence.
He looked at the gate latch. Then he looked behind the compost bin, where the temporary board covered the gap.
From the other side came a low honk.
The white goose stood in its enclosure, watching him.
Shloimy stayed on his own side.
"Your vegetables are over there," he said.
Mr. Katz had given the geese a leafy bundle inside their pen. The goose turned toward it and began eating.
Mordy came up with the baskets.
"Did you check the gate?"
"And the rest."
They carried the radishes to the house. At the kitchen door, Bubby waited in a pale blue headscarf.
"How was the garden?"
Mordy held up the small basket.
Shloimy glanced at him, then answered.
"Busy. We had a visitor."
Bubby looked past them toward the fence.
"I hope the visitor has gone home."
"It has," both boys said.
This time, they had checked more than the gate.
