Master Sunshine | Page 4

him out of trouble,
she will be all right, I promise you."
It always made Almira Jane laugh when she thought of the day when
Master Sunshine brought the Wanderers home. Master Sunshine had

gone to old Mrs. Sorefoot, who lived down the road, to get a setting of
Leghorn eggs. The old lady, whose life was being made miserable by
the clamor of the pair of geese which a grandchild had brought her the
week before as a particularly choice gift, told Master Sunshine that, if
he would but take them away, they should be his property.
The little fellow was more delighted than I can tell you. He had always
wanted to own geese, and this was such a good chance. And he made
up his mind on the instant that as soon as he got them 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 they have not wit enough either to find food
which is suitable to them, or to hide themselves from dogs or wild
animals who delight to worry them; so the best thing we can do is to fit
them for the life we want them to lead."
Master Sunshine nodded thoughtfully. He had great faith in Almira
Jane's knowledge, and the good sense of her arguments always satisfied
his judgment.
It was not until he had gone in the house, and was well out of hearing,
that Almira Jane began to laugh; and such a clear, ringing, downright,
hearty laugh it was, the old Wanderer bumped his yoke against the
fence to show his approval, and the gray goose joined in with high,
shrill screams of delight. It really seemed as if they were trying to tell

Almira Jane what they thought of their journey along the road with
their new master.
There were not many houses near the pretty white cottage in which
Master Sunshine lived. The Hill-top school, of which he was a pupil,
was quite a half-mile away; and Tommy Dane, who lived just across
the street from his home, used to walk there with him every day.
Master Sunshine was very fond of Tommy, though his little friend had
some ways that he did not