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Interrupted Preparations
Jul. 22nd, 2023 03:43 pmLucy Peterson scooted around the cat, giving it a pet and saying, "Good girl, you'll get your Christmas dinner when the rest of us do, just keep out of the way for a bit." She got out her biggest roasting pan and rubbed the inside with grease from the fat she had trimmed off the goose.
She looked at the girls in the corner, chattering over their game of questions and answers. Just as Sally cried out "I've got it. It's the tree at church!" Lucy called, "That's enough games for now, girls. Start peeling the potatoes now, please, and set them in the pan in one layer so I can put the goose on top."
As the girls settled to their task, Lucy got started on hers. Mike had already cut the feet and head off the goose, and Lucy had plucked it herself. She set it on her cutting board and reached inside the bottom hole, giving one strong, quick pull. It was a good grab. All the innards came out at once. Lucy quickly sorted through them, separating the true rubbish from the ones to cook for the gravy from the ones to give to the cat.
As she worked, Lucy noticed that the crop was larger and harder than usual. They always had stones in them, of course, but usually tiny ones. This goose's crop seemed to have one large stone, as big as one of the boy's marbles. Feeling curious, Lucy took the paring knife from Sally and cut into the crop. Out came the bluest stone she had ever seen. It was cut like a diamond and even brighter than the glass ones she had seen on the ladies at the theater where she cleaned during the week. It might even have been real.
"Mike, Mike! Come in and look at something," Lucy called into the bedroom where her husband had been sitting out of the way. They couldn't afford three rooms to have a proper sitting room, so on regular days they say in the kitchen. Today there was just no room.
Mike burst into the kitchen. He looked at the stone in Lucy's hand. "That's lovely, dear. It's almost as blue as your eyes! Where did it come from?"
"From the goose, Mike. I cut it out of the crop."
"Out of a goose that I only found, not bought, in the first place! That's not good. Mr. Holmes is already trying to find the owner to return the hat, so I'll call on him and let him know."
Lucy watched Mike rush out the door, getting more excited as he went. Mike never really got excited until he was already hard at work.
She looked at the girls in the corner, chattering over their game of questions and answers. Just as Sally cried out "I've got it. It's the tree at church!" Lucy called, "That's enough games for now, girls. Start peeling the potatoes now, please, and set them in the pan in one layer so I can put the goose on top."
As the girls settled to their task, Lucy got started on hers. Mike had already cut the feet and head off the goose, and Lucy had plucked it herself. She set it on her cutting board and reached inside the bottom hole, giving one strong, quick pull. It was a good grab. All the innards came out at once. Lucy quickly sorted through them, separating the true rubbish from the ones to cook for the gravy from the ones to give to the cat.
As she worked, Lucy noticed that the crop was larger and harder than usual. They always had stones in them, of course, but usually tiny ones. This goose's crop seemed to have one large stone, as big as one of the boy's marbles. Feeling curious, Lucy took the paring knife from Sally and cut into the crop. Out came the bluest stone she had ever seen. It was cut like a diamond and even brighter than the glass ones she had seen on the ladies at the theater where she cleaned during the week. It might even have been real.
"Mike, Mike! Come in and look at something," Lucy called into the bedroom where her husband had been sitting out of the way. They couldn't afford three rooms to have a proper sitting room, so on regular days they say in the kitchen. Today there was just no room.
Mike burst into the kitchen. He looked at the stone in Lucy's hand. "That's lovely, dear. It's almost as blue as your eyes! Where did it come from?"
"From the goose, Mike. I cut it out of the crop."
"Out of a goose that I only found, not bought, in the first place! That's not good. Mr. Holmes is already trying to find the owner to return the hat, so I'll call on him and let him know."
Lucy watched Mike rush out the door, getting more excited as he went. Mike never really got excited until he was already hard at work.
