ne done been hid, 'twuz' all buried in de ole
graves down in de family grave yard wid de tombstones at de head an'
foots. No Yankee ain't goin' be diggin' in no grave for nothin'.

Dey wuz one Yankee in dis las' bunch dat wuz big an' bustin'. He strut
bigoty wid his chist stuck out. He walk 'roun' stickin' his sword in de
chair cushions, de pictures on de walls an' things like dat. He got
powerful mad kaze he couldn' fin' nothin', den he look out de window an'
seed Mis' Laura. She wuz standin' on de po'ch an' de sun wuz shinin' on
de diamon' ear rings in her ears. Dey wuz de ear rings dat belonged to
Marse Peter's great-great-gran'mammy. When de sojer seed dem diamon's
his eyes 'gun to shine. He went out on de po'ch an' went up to Mis'
Laura. 'Gim me dem ear rings,' he say jus' like dat.

Mis' Laura flung her han's up to her ears an' run out in de yard. De
sojer followed her, an' all de other sojers come too. Dat big Yankee
tole Mis' Laura again to give him de ear rings, but she shook her head.
I wuz standin' 'side de house near 'bout bustin' wid madness when dat
Yankee reach up an' snatch Mis' Laura's hands down an' hold dem in his,
den he laugh, an' all de other sojers 'gun to laugh too jus' like dey
thought 'twuz funny. 'Bout dat time Ole General Lee done smell a fight.
He come waddlin' 'roun' de house, his tail feathers bristled out an'
tawkin' to he'sef. I point to dem sojers an say, "Sic him, General Lee,
sic him."

Dat gander ain't waste no time. He let out his wings an' cha'ged dem
Yankees an' dey scatter like flies. Den he lit on dat big sojer's back
an' 'gun to beat him wid his wings. Dat man let out a yell an' drap Mis'
Laura's hands; he try to shake dat goose, but General bit into his neck
an' held on like a leech. When de other sojers come up an' try to pull
him off, dat gander let out a wing an' near about slap dem down. I ain't
never seed such fightin! Every time I holler, Sic him, General Lee start
'nother 'tack.

'Bout dat time dem Yankees took a runnin' nothin. Dey forgot de ear
rings an' lit out down de road, but dat gander beat dat bigoty yellin'
sojer clear down to de branch befo' he turned him loose, den he jump in
de water an' wash hese'f off. Yes, suh, dat wuz sho some fightin' goose;
he near 'bout out fit de sho nuff Marse General Lee.

N. C. District: No. 2 [320230]
Worker: T. Pat Matthews
No. Words: 942
Subject: GEORGE W. HARRIS
Story Teller: