Once upon a time, nestled in the countryside, lived three bird friends – an indignant Goose, a cheerful Duck, and an often-quiet Turkey.
One day, the Goose noticed that their farmer was feeding them more generously. “Hiss! Hiss!” the Goose grumbled. “They’ve plumped us up for the Thanksgiving feast – such singers as we are! It’s a disgrace!”
The Goose turned to the Turkey, his feathers ruffling. “Stay tough, Mister Turkey, just like me. Hiss at this ill treatment!” he urged.
In contrast to the Goose, the Duck found joy in their situation. “Quack!” he chuckled. “I call it good fortune! Think of all the delicious treats we get – apple cores, squash seeds, and scraps of meat! What a feast indeed! Let’s hurry to lunch.” He waddled off merrily, but the Turkey only responded with his usual, “Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!”
The Goose was aghast at the Duck’s blissful ignorance. “Hiss! Hiss!” he retorted. “You’re as oblivious as a goose, you duck! You quack too much and know too little, even to go indoors when it rains.”
The Duck only chuckled, “‘Tis a world of luck!” he quacked.
“Hiss! It’s a world of abuse!” cried the Goose.
“You’re the great goose here,” the Duck quacked, shaking his feathers.
“Hiss!” the Goose shrilled, catching the attention of all the barnyard creatures. “Listen, Mister Turkey, the world is full of trouble!” he warned.
But Turkey, who had been observing the entire debate, simply lifted his head, puffed his feathers, and replied with a content, “Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!”
The farm filled with laughter, not at the Goose’s disgruntlement or the Duck’s naivety, but at the Turkey’s wise indifference. It seemed that in the midst of noise and quarrels, Turkey had found a way to embrace his fate, live in the present and enjoy the banquet before him.
And so, the story of the grumpy Goose, the joyful Duck, and the wise Turkey spread across the countryside, reminding all who heard it to appreciate the moment, live wisely, and always answer life’s troubles with a hearty “Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!”
Credits
Charlotte W. Thurston was an American children's author whose light, playful stories often carried gentle moral lessons beneath their humour. "Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!" reflects her knack for using familiar farmyard characters to explore how attitude — more than circumstance — shapes one's experience of the world.
