Stranded on the Edge of the Asphalt
A mother Canada goose lay flat against the gravel shoulder as heavy semi-trucks and commuter cars whizzed past just inches from her feathers.
Her wings were spread wide across the dirt, unable to lift her body off the ground.
Surrounding her, half a dozen fluffy yellow goslings paced in tight circles, pressing their small bodies against her chest and chirping toward the road.
Every time a vehicle rushed by, the gust of wind ruffled their downy feathers, but the little birds refused to leave her side.
The mother stretched her neck upward, opening her beak to hiss feebly at the passing traffic before collapsing her head back into the dust.
A Rider Pulls Over
A man on a road bicycle rolled along the white line, catching sight of the cluster of feathers huddled beside the guardrail.
He clamped his handbrakes, brought his bike to a stop, and dropped the frame onto the grass behind him.
He took slow, deliberate steps toward the family, keeping his hands low and his palms turned upward.
“It’s okay, I’m here,” he said, dropping into a deep crouch beside the distressed mother.
The tiny goslings scattered for half a second before immediately scurrying back to their mother’s wing, looking up at the stranger with wide, alert eyes.
The mother goose watched him closely, her dark eyes following his hands as he gently rested his fingertips near her side.
Moving Away From Danger
The cyclist slid his fingers beneath the goose’s chest, carefully supporting her underside while wrapping his other arm around her folded wings.
He lifted her from the hot roadside gravel, standing up steadily to ensure she stayed secure against his chest.
Her long black neck remained upright as she looked around, her webbed feet dangling quietly in the air.
On the ground, the goslings burst into motion, their tiny legs churning through the grass to keep pace right beneath their mother’s hanging feet.
The man carried her several yards down the sloping bank, away from the roaring highway and toward the shaded shoreline of the lake.
He knelt on the fresh green lawn, lowering his arms to let her settle gently onto the grass.
A Drink by the Water’s Edge
As soon as her belly touched the ground, the goslings formed a tight ring around her, tucking themselves under the shelter of her wings.
The man retrieved a small blue plastic bowl filled to the brim with clear water from the nearby lake.
He set the container on the grass directly in front of the mother’s beak, resting his hand softly on her back to keep her calm.
The goose extended her neck forward, dipping her dark bill into the cool water and tilting her head back to swallow.
The man knelt quietly beside the family on the grass as the mother took another drink and her goslings nestled into her side.
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