Horse Feathers by Bonnie Bryant Page B

Then, as an afterthought, she added, “And stay put.”
    Surprisingly enough, the goslings immediately nestled down, their innocent little faces staring up at her, their eyes wide with curiosity.
    Stevie moved to her desk, opening her history book as she sneaked a quick peek toward the incubator.Seven and Eight were wiggling madly now, and Stevie knew it wouldn’t be much longer before they hatched. Maybe it would be enough time to get her reading done. She quickly flipped to the correct page to pick up where she’d left off the other night, before any of the eggs had started hatching.
    When Stevie looked up from the Napoleonic Wars a short while later, she was quite surprised to find all six goslings shuffling around on her biology book, which was on the floor near her feet. Number One was circling the group like a herder, trying to keep them in order. And Number Three kept trying to escape the herd, only to be rounded up by Number One and shuffled back to the group.
    It was clear to Stevie that the goslings wouldn’t be contained. It would be much simpler, she decided, to let them wander around her room for the time being. She’d just clean up their little calling cards until she was able to build a bigger box.
    “You win,” said Stevie. “Just don’t make too much of a mess. And Number One, as the oldest member of the group, it’s your job to keep everyone together.” Number One quacked responsibly, and, Stevie thought, with a new air of authority.
    It also occurred to Stevie that she really shouldname the little tykes. She looked at Number One. He was bossy—just like an older brother, she mused. He was always trying to make his siblings do what he was doing. And Two always seemed to be getting into trouble. For instance, he’d somehow managed to get his beak stuck under the front cover of the biology book. Number Four (who seemed to come to Two’s rescue often) got him unstuck by pushing him slightly to one side and backward. Number Three got turned around easily and was the one that Stevie ended up looking for the most. Even now he was headed away from the group as if striking out on an adventure. But before he made it two feet, Number One brought him under control and returned him to the group.
    How was Stevie ever going to come up with suitable names for all of them? The more she thought about it, the odder it seemed to call them anything but Numbers One through Six. She watched the goslings for a moment, then made up her mind.
    “You guys are officially dubbed Numbers One through Six,” she announced. The goslings quacked in response, which Stevie took to be a type of acceptance.
    That settled, Stevie selected a pencil from among the few lying on the floor and began answering her homeworkquestions relating to the Napoleonic Wars. She was only partway through the first question when she was interrupted by a chorus of excited quacks. She looked down to see all six goslings chewing on the rest of the pencils.
    “I think I’ll take those,” said Stevie, quickly gathering up the pencils. Pencils certainly couldn’t be good for newborns.
    However, as she reached for the last of the pencils, she realized it was attached to Number Six, who had the eraser held firmly in his beak. “Hey, you, let go.”
    The gosling took a step backward, tugging on the pencil. He seemed quite unprepared to give it up until Number One honked angrily at him. Number Six released the pencil, madly fluffing up his feathers in what Stevie could only describe as a goose fit.
    “Thank you, Number One,” said Stevie. She placed the pencils on her desk, then thought better of it and moved them to a drawer, closing it firmly. “At the rate you guys are growing, you’ll be up here in no time at all.” The goslings responded with a harmony of quacks.
    Stevie pushed her history book away and checked the incubator. “Well, hello,” she said to Numbers Seven and Eight, who had now completed the hatching process andwere strutting