They had bathed and primped, and now they lay and gulped
half-rotten pond-weed and water-clover.
The white goosey-gander had the good fortune to spy a perch. He grabbed
it quickly, swam ashore with it, and laid it down in front of the boy.
"Here's a thank you for helping me into the water," said he.
It was the first time the boy had heard a friendly word that day. He was
so happy that he wanted to throw his arms around the goosey-gander's
neck, but he refrained; and he was also thankful for the gift. At first
he must have thought that it would be impossible to eat raw fish, and
then he had a notion to try it.
He felt to see if he still had his sheath-knife with him; and, sure
enough, there it hung--on the back button of his trousers, although it
was so diminished that it was hardly as long as a match. Well, at any
rate, it served to scale and cleanse fish with; and it wasn't long
before the perch was eaten.
When the boy had satisfied his hunger, he felt a little ashamed because
he had been able to eat a raw thing. "It's evident that I'm not a human
being any longer, but a real elf," thought he.
While the boy ate, the goosey-gander stood silently beside him. But when
he had swallowed the last bite, he said in a low voice: "It's a fact
that we have run across a stuck-up goose folk who despise all tame
birds.
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