A goose and her three goslings lived near a vast lake under a thick tree canopy. The goose was protective of her young children as they were unable to take care of themselves.
She had particularly forbidden them from swimming towards the far end of the lake, where there was a mountain.
“You must never venture near the foothills. That mountain is the home to fierce falcons which you cannot escape or fight,” she told them every time they went together for a swim in the lake.
The goslings always wondered why their mother had forbidden them from going near the mountain.
“This lake is so vast. I want to swim from one end to the other,” wished one of them.
“That mountain is so beautiful. I want to go near it,” wished the other.
“Why does mother never let us swim to the far corner of the lake?” asked the third gosling.
One day, they made a plan to swim to the forbidden edge of the lake, thinking their mother was not letting them have all the fun. They thought the presence of the falcons was a scare made up by the goose.
As the goose went for a nap in the afternoon, the goslings got into the water and swam in a line, slowly at first so as not to wake up their mother.
Soon, they were out of sight. As they reached the middle of the lake, they were elated that they could swim so far alone.
When they were finally near the edge of the lake, a huge shadow covered the surface of the water.
The goslings looked up to see a large bird hovering over them in the sky. It was a falcon.
The goslings understood that their mother had been right all the time. They knew their lives were in danger.
As the falcon circled around them, the goslings gave up, waiting for their fate.
The falcon locked his eyes on the target and dived. Just when he was about to reach his prey, the goose appeared from nowhere and saved her children.
The falcon withdrew, knowing the goose was too big for him to fight.
The goslings heaved a sigh of relief. The goose mother helped her children swim back to safety.
