The Swan and the Goose Story

The Swan and the Goose

Narrative text - The swan and the goose

A swan and a goose were both sold at the market on the same day to the same buyer. Then they were taken back to his villa and both put in the lake, the swan to please his eye, and his ears with its legendary song, and the goose to please his stomach eventually with its lovely, tasty meat.

For a long time, the two birds lived very happily together, becoming great friends. They swam about every day in the water and the master and his guests often came by to admire the two animals and feed them tasty morsels.

Nevertheless, the day came when the master ordered that the goose should be roasted for his dinner. The cook went down to the lake to fetch the unwilling guest to the banquet.

By chance that day, the cook was drunk, and instead of taking the goose he took the swan. When the swan saw the cook’s knife coming for its throat, it began to sing its famous last song. The cook was so amazed that he refused to kill the bird.

Which goes to show that everyone who knows how to make good use of words can find a way out of even the most desperate situation.