The little preschool-age girl, living on the farm with her siblings and parents, lived in constant fear of going outside to play. The reason for her terror? Their male goose (called a gander for those who are not up to snuff on geese) thought it great fun to chase the child whenever she dared to step outside. The louder she screamed and ran away, the more he delighted in the chase, wings flapping and honking stridently with every step.

Older siblings had attempted to encourage her, but nothing worked. She learned to ‘prefer’ to play with her dolls in the house, while all the other kids rode bi...