Argosy, September 1955 — page 60: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

58 a rts From Here to Maternity My objection to kittens Is simple in essence: They have such a brief childhood, And no adolescence. PHILENE HAMMER Homing Birds We sold four geese to an Admiral who wanted them for keeping down grass on a Fleet Air Arm aerodrome... If you live in the country you should keep geese as policemen. They give notice of a projected burglary. They cackle loudly, in the approved technique of Ancient Rome, if the attack on your property is pending. Like the Navy, they never sleep. At night they post a sentry. Often have I heard: our geese talking over the night’s “roster’’ of duties in low musical tones. ‘‘ Two hours on and four hours off ”’ is the goose’s motto. This routine drill is observed as righteously by geese as it is by the Royal Marines in a battleship. ‘The moment the first sentry is posted, the remainder of the flock tuck their heads under their wings and go to sleep. If the night is quiet and there are no foxes about, the geese sleep peacefully, except for a short murmur during which sentries are changed. At dawn they all wake up, stretch their wings, and greet the sun (if any)... The Admiral who bought my geese . . . wanted to buy some more, because they were doing his aerodrome a lot of good. He said he couldn’t understand the term “ silly geese! ”’ Silly? Our geese were clever! ‘The day I banked the cheque I got for them, they left the aerodrome and flew straight home. T. A.. Lowe, Fruit-Farm in England comichookSncennl