One day passed much like another till the following incident happened . Dwarf Long Nose -- as he was always called -- made a practice of doing his marketing as much as possible himself , and whenever time allowed went to the market to buy his poultry and fruit . One morning he was in the goose market , looking for some nice fat geese . No one thought of laughing at his appearance now ; he was known as the duke 's special body cook , and every goose-woman felt honoured if his nose turned her way . He noticed one woman sitting apart with a number of geese , but not crying or praising them like the rest . He went up to her , felt and weighed her geese , and , finding them very good , bought three and the cage to put them in , hoisted them on his broad shoulders , and set off on his way back . As he went , it struck him that two of the geese were gobbling and screaming as geese do , but the third sat quite still , only heaving a deep sigh now and then , like a human being . ` That goose is ill , ' said he ; ' I must make haste to kill and dress her . ' But the goose answered him quite distinctly : ` Squeeze too tight And I 'll bite , If my neck a twist you gave I 'd bring you to an early grave . ' Quite frightened , the dwarf set down the cage , and the goose gazed at him with sad wise-looking eyes and sighed again . ` Good gracious ! ' said Long Nose . ` So you can speak , Mistress Goose . I never should have thought it ! Well , do n't be anxious . I know better than to hurt so rare a bird . But I could bet you were not always in this plumage -- was n't I a squirrel myself for a time ? ' ` You are right , ' said the goose , ` in supposing I was not born in this horrid shape . Ah ! no one ever thought that Mimi , the daughter of the great Weatherbold , would be killed for the ducal table . '
` Be quite easy , Mistress XXXXX , ' comforted Jem .
Mimi Weatherbold day eyes goose-woman market morning plumage right twist