Goose or Gander

The river banks of Stratford-upon-Avon have Geese as well as the Mute Swans that waddle up and down on the grassy banks. They are all quite tame and walk up to passers by making a soft honking sound hoping for a scrap of food or two.

While I watched them I was reminded of when I was a child - people would keep geese and they would make very good 'guard dogs' especially if there was a large gaggle of them housing a handsome gander. When a stranger is around geese make noises so loud it would alert the deafest of inhabitants .... they certainly know how to see off strangers!

These geese also reminded me of an old nursery rhyme that I used to recite as a child ...

Goosey Goosey Gander where shall I wander?

Upstairs, downstairs in my lady's chamber.

There I met an old man who wouldn't say his prayers -

So I took him by the left leg and threw him down the stairs.

I always felt sorry for the old man being thrown down the stairs!

This is a very old rhyme which many believe was composed in the 1500's and is alledged to refer to the differences between the Catholics and the Protestants. Many houses it is said had small rooms to hide Catholic priests in as in those days they 'wouldn't' say prayers in English but prayed only in Latin. This was against the laws of the land and so people who sympathised with their cause hid them in small rooms in their houses.