buds, and the odour of earth steaming in the sun, was
in every breath; the blackbirds were calling, and the doves; the
ganders looked longingly at the sky and screamed a call to every
passing wild flock, and Deams' rooster wanted to fight all creation, if
you judged by the boasting he was doing from their barnyard gate. He
made me think of eggs, so I set my jaws, looked straight ahead, and
scooted across the floodgate to the post that held it and the rails of
the meadow fence. I made it too, and then the fence was easy, only I
had to double quite short, because the water was over the third rail
there, but at last it was all gone, and I went to the fence corner and
there was the goose on the nest, laying an egg. She had built on a
little high place, among puddles, wild rose bushes, and thorns, and the
old thing wouldn't get off. She just sat there and stuck out her head
and hissed and hissed. I never noticed before that geese were so big
and so aggravating. I wasn't going to give up, after that floodgate,
so I hunted a big stick, set it against her wing, pushed her off and
grabbed three eggs and ran. When I got to the fence, I was in a pickle
for sure. I didn't know what in the world to do with the eggs.

At last I unbuttoned my coat, put them in my apron front, gathered it
up, and holding it between my teeth, started back. I had to double
more than ever on account of the eggs, and when I reached the floodgate
it rocked like a branch in the wind; but I had to get back, so I rested
and listened to the larks a while. That was a good plan. They were
calling for mates, and what they said was so perfectly lovely, you
couldn't think of anything else; and the less you thought about how
that gate rocked, and how deep and swift the water ran, the better for
you. At last one lark went almost from sight and he rang, twisted and
trilled his call, until my heart swelled so big it hurt. I crossed on
the jump with no time to think at all. That was a fine plan, for I
made it, but I hit the post so hard I broke the middle egg. I was
going to throw it away, but there was so much starch in my apron it
held like a dish, and it had been clean that morning, now the egg
soiled it anyway, so I ran and got home all right.

Mother was so pleased about the eggs she changed the apron and never
said a word, except to brag on me. She said she couldn't keep house
without me, and I guess that was a fact. I came in handy a lot of
time