The goose

The other day Theo got a goose in his mouth (which made our killer very happy). We did not put that goose in his mouth - it was sleeping with the other geese, Theo snuck up on them and got a goose by the neck. Then we where in a dilemma: we had a goose that could have a broken neck on a beach so cold that healthy geese where dying. We saw 2 dead geese on the beach and 3 more on the frozen ice in the bay. So if we where to leave this goose on the beach it would probably freeze to death. And we are not people who like to do that so John carried the goose to the car and we kept Theo away (he did not need it he did not jump).

I had it on my lap in the car and it went to the bathroom on me. I should say that this goose was not trying to bite, it kept it's head in it's wing for most of the drive. At one point it got it's head out and it flopped down that made us think it did have a broken neck. After a while it lifted it's head and looked around and that proved that we where wrong about the neck. 

When we got home it came in with us inside and it repeated it's bathroom incident. The goose stayed outside after that. Mama made a nest for him in the basement and gave him food though I do not think it ate any. I wanted to see if it could walk or fly so we took it in to the back yard. It sat down for a while then slowly stumbled under the swing set. I went over and picked him up. He was calm for a wild goose, not trying to bite or claw. 

It spent that night in the basement. The next morning he hissed at me but did not bite. We had planned on letting it go that day. So we wrapped him in a towel and Anna carried him in the car and it was I who carried him down the beach. We walked to where Theo caught it and put him down on the ground. It did nothing. We really did not want to let it die. So it came back home with us. 

No animal shelters where open on Sunday so he slept in the basement one more time. We gave it some more food and took it in to the back yard again. This time it could walk well. But all it did was go to one of the corners of the yard and stare at the fence. 

The next morning Anna and I went down to find a living goose but we found a dead one. We where planing to bring are goose to a wildlife rescue but that was not too be.We think it had tried to fly or get away but had trapped himself on the leg of our wicker chair. Mama put it in a garbage bag and called animal rescue. They came over and took our dead goose.

By Clare Shamgochian

All this took place at RISD beach and the backyard and basement of 47 Walnut st.