The Shrewd Old Gander

A flock of geese lived in a tall fig tree. The oldest gander noticed a thin vine curling around the trunk. ‘We should pull it up now,’ he warned. ‘If it grows thick, someone could climb it and reach our nests.’

The younger geese laughed. ‘It is only a soft little vine,’ they said. ‘We will deal with it later.’ Seasons passed. The vine grew as thick as rope, but everyone had become used to seeing it. One evening, while the flock was away, a hunter climbed the vine and spread a net among the branches.

At sunset the geese returned and were caught. They fluttered in panic until the old gander called, ‘Be still. We ignored the easy warning, but we can still use our heads. At dawn, hang limp and pretend the net has already defeated us.’

The next morning the hunter climbed the tree. Believing the motionless geese were dead, he freed them one by one and laid them gently on the grass, planning to gather them afterward. The old gander had told everyone not to move until the last bird was down.

When the seventh goose touched the grass, the old gander gave one sharp call. Every goose opened its wings at once. A rush of grey and white feathers filled the air, and the entire flock flew safely across the river. The surprised hunter was left holding an empty net.

From their new tree, the young geese apologized. Together they removed every young vine around the trunk before building nests. They had learned two lessons from their elder: wise advice saves the most work when followed early, and calm cooperation can still open a way out after a mistake.

__Moral: __Heed wise warnings while a problem is small; if trouble comes, stay calm and work together.