I grew up with animals and always had a great love for birds. My parents moved to Ontario and I had to sell all my birds :(
While we were there, I got a number of birds back again. 6 months later, my parents decided they were moving back to Nova Scotia, and I had to get rid of all my birds again! Well, I ran to the barn and cried and cried.
Unbeknown to me, my mother was outside listening to me. So after a talk with my dad and a lot of no's, they finally decided to allow me to keep the litter of chicks that was due to hatch on the day we were to leave. 1 gosling, 1 duckling and 5 chicks hatched. I got a tiny cardboard box and put them all in it. I had to carry the box in my hand the entire trip back. Being 9 people in a half ton truck, loaded to the gills with stuff, we took turns shifting from the cab to the back of the pickup. We crawled in over the clothes and stuff, trying to catch 40 winks. Even asleep, my dad remarked how tightly I held onto the small cardboard box.
Anyways, I kept those babies next to my bed every night with my hand hung over the side into the box with my babies, I was their mummy and they wrapped around my hand all night long. I took them outside days and they followed me everywhere. Well the chicks grew up and well became chicks.
They were never scared of me, used me as a perch often enough. But what I remember the most was my goose, I called him Weep Weep, and boy, did he know his name! He went everywhere with me, sat on my lap, on the floor beside me, and went out side to play.
I remember one time I took on the beeline to the beach. Poor thing stretched those legs best he could trying to keep up with me, just a hollering all the way, When he'd catch up, he'd stretch his neck out and talk in his loving happy way, wrap his neck around mine and just go on and on. If I went in the water, he was always right there. So many people used to just get flabbergasted over it. It was the darnedest thing!
A problem arose once he became about 2 years old. I was crouched on the ground and he climbed on my back. Being a kid, I didn't realize what was going on till he grabbed my hair. My mum and Dad were in the window and saw this. They said the gander was trying to mate with me. Well geeze!
Anyways, I decided he needed a mate, yes a real mate. It was the hardest thing I ever did. My parents wouldn't allow me to get another goose, so I found him a good home on a island with lots of other geese. Never ever forgot my gander. Geese are just too smart and very loyal.
By Chicklet from Nova Scotia
