home, he would remove the queer-looking collar from the gander's
neck.

Then he set out for home, oh, so proudly!

On one arm he carried carefully the basket of eggs; under the
other was the gray goose, with her legs securely tied. Behind him,
led, or rather dragged, by a stout cord passed through the opening
in the yoke, came the white gander, who was quite able by
spreading his powerful wings to contest every step of the way.
Poor Master Sunshine! What a time he did have, and how very hot
and excited he was before he reached home!

Almira Jane saw him coming, and flew to meet him. Never in her
life had she seen such a strange sight. The little fellow set the
basket of eggs gently on the ground, laid the struggling goose on
her side, and made the Wanderer fast to a fence-post, before he
could answer her many questions.

Then he mopped his forehead with his small handkerchief, and drew
a deep sigh of relief.

"O Almira Jane! it has been the worst time," he said. "If you'll
just look at my stockings, I am afraid you will see that there is
lots of darning to be done."

Almira Jane surveyed the calves of his plump legs wonderingly.
Sure enough, there were dozens of little round holes through which
the pink skin was showing. There were even little stains of blood
on the ravelled yarn.

"The old gander has nipped my legs with his sharp bill, and butted
me with his yoke, and pulled on the string so I could scarcely
keep my feet. The gray goose has flapped me with her wings
whenever she got the chance; and in getting them safely here, I
nearly fell a dozen times, and broke the whole setting of eggs,"
he said excitedly.

Almira Jane looked admiringly at him. "You ain't got much
strength, but you got considerable grit," she said proudly.

"But they didn't know how inconvenient it was for me," added the
boy more calmly. "When they see how kind we are to them, I think
they will be sorry about the way they treated me."

Almira Jane looked at the gander critically, and cut the string
that bound the gray goose's legs, before she made any reply.

"They need their wings clipped," she said. "That is the kindest
thing we can do for them."

Master Sunshine looked both surprised and grieved.

"You see, Sunshine," she continued, "geese are wild birds still,
though generations and generations of our grandfathers tried to
tame them, yet they are not wild enough to look after themselves.
When they stray away from their homes