The Wise Old Gander

Name: The Wise Old Gander
Availability: InStock
Author: Abbie Phillips Walker

When a cunning fox threatens the barnyard, a wise old gander consults every farm animal and devises a brilliant plan to combine all their talents into one terrifying surprise.

A careless farmer has no proper shelter for his barnyard animals, and Old Fox takes advantage, snatching a hen or goose every night. When Madam Goose declares that something must be done, the animals turn to the wise old gander for help. The gander visits each farm animal in turn: the pig offers to grunt, the donkey promises to bray, the cow admits she can only moo, and the cat volunteers her fearsome claws and yowl. The dog says his bark alone should suffice. Each animal is confident that their individual effort will scare the fox, but the gander realizes that no single animal is enough. His brilliant plan is to bring them all together. That night, when Old Fox creeps into the barnyard, the gander gives the signal and every animal erupts at once -- the dog barks, the pig squeals, the donkey brays, the cow moos, the geese quack, the rooster crows, and the cat springs at the fox with her sharp claws. The terrified fox flees over the hill and is never seen again, later telling his friends that a horrible monster with twenty feet and heads of all sizes lives at the farm.

Author: Abbie Phillips Walker

Themes: wisdom, teamwork, cleverness, cooperation, courage, consequences

Once there lived a farmer who was not a good caretaker. He did not have a proper house for the hens, chickens, geese, or ducks, and they all had to sleep wherever they could find shelter in the open barnyard. Old Fox, who lived in a hole over the hill, never had any trouble sneaking onto the farm and snatching a nice goose or a fat hen for his supper or his breakfast. Night after night, another bird went missing, and no one seemed able to stop it.

"Something must be done at once!" declared Madam Goose, flapping her wings in distress. "There will be no one left in the whole yard if this keeps on. Why, only last night Madam Gray Hen was carried off, and she has left all those poor little chicks behind. It is really too awful to think of!" "But what can we do?" asked Gray Goose helplessly. "The rooster does not know. I heard one of his family ask him, and he only said the master should take better care of us."

"So he should," replied Madam Goose firmly, "but he doesn't, so we must care for ourselves unless we wish to be carried off too. Let us go to the gander; he may be able to help us." "Come with us!" they called to the rooster and the black hen, who were talking together nearby. "We are going to see the gander and ask him to help us be rid of Old Fox over the hill!" So the whole group waddled and strutted across the barnyard to find the wise old gander.

The gander stretched out his long neck and blinked his eyes thoughtfully as he listened to their tale of woe. "You are right, something must be done," he said in his deep, calm voice. "And you are quite right in coming to me. I will think over the matter and give you my advice later." "Later!" screamed Madam Goose. "Later there will be no need for advice! There will be no one left to give it or to receive it! What we need is advice at once, and something that will rid us of Old Fox. He is eating the whole yard, one by one!"

"Well, well," answered the gander, standing on one foot and then the other. "I will think over the matter for a short time and then tell you my decision. You know, my dear madam, that great minds must have quiet to think out important matters. Leave me, I beg of you all, for a little while." As soon as the gander was alone, he waddled straight over to the pig-pen. "Mr. Pig," he said, "I am going to ask your advice. Old Fox over the hill is carrying off all the fowls and something must be done."

"Ugh, ugh," grunted the pig proudly. "I can tell you what will frighten him away. I will stay awake tonight and grunt at him. He will know better than to linger where I am!" "Thank you, thank you, Mr. Pig," said the gander, backing carefully away from the pig-pen. "I will tell my friends, and I am sure they will feel safe tonight." But once he was out of earshot, the gander shook his head. "Conceited fellow," he muttered. "I guess it will take more than his grunts to scare that foxy fellow."

Then the gander went to visit the donkey. "He isn't very wise," thought the gander as he waddled along, "but sometimes those who have the least wisdom speak wisdom without knowing it." "Mr. Donkey, I have come to ask your advice. Old Fox is carrying off our hens and geese. Something must be done to stop him, or soon there will be none of us left." The donkey puffed out his chest. "You have come to the right place for advice. Go back to your friends and tell them to have no fear. I am going to bray at Old Fox when he comes, and you will see he will not stay long when he hears my commanding voice!"

"Oh, how can I ever thank you?" said the gander politely, walking away. But once he was alone he shook his head again. "Foolish old donkey. I guess Old Fox has heard a donkey bray before this. I'll try the cow next." "Madam Cow," he began, "Old Fox is carrying off all the fowls. What would you advise?" "Oh, don't ask me, Mr. Gander," said the cow gently. "All I can do is moo, and Old Fox would no more mind that than the wind blowing. I wish I were wise enough to advise you, but I am not. But if I can help in any way, let me know."

"Thank you, Madam Cow," said the gander warmly, waddling away. "You may hear from me. We never can tell when we shall need the help of our friends." The next one the gander visited was the cat. "Can you help me, Madam Puss?" he began. "Old Fox carries off one or more of our number every night, and something must be done to stop it at once." The cat opened her mouth very wide and yawned, and the gander wondered if he had been wise in asking her. But Puss closed her mouth with a snap and sat up straight. "Of course I can help you," she said fiercely. "Did you ever see my claws?"

The gander backed away nervously as Puss held up her sharp, gleaming claws for him to see. "Leave it to me to protect the barnyard," she declared. "I will yowl and spit at Old Fox when he comes tonight, and I can tell you he will not come again!" "Thank you, thank you, Madam Puss!" said the gander, hurrying away. "My, but that was a narrow escape!" he muttered. "She positively looks awful when she opens her mouth." Then the gander stopped still and held up his head. "I have it!" he cried. "I have the very plan! I will get them all together and each shall do his part. I believe we can scare Old Fox away for good and all time!"

The gander went to the dog, who promised to bark. "Of course, there is no need of having the others around if I do that," said the dog. "But bring them along if you like; every little helps." That night, the donkey, the dog, the cat, the cow, and the pig were all gathered in the barnyard. Each one protested that the others were not needed -- all but the cow, who was modest and said she would simply help. Then the rooster came and offered to crow, and the geese were ready to quack. "Now you all must hide," said the gander, "and don't move until Old Fox gets right in the middle of the yard. Then jump up and do your worst!"

Old Fox waited until it was very late, and then crept over the hill and up to the farm. He listened carefully, and hearing no sound at all, he crept into the barnyard. He was just about to reach a fat goose when all the animals erupted at once! The dog barked, the pig squealed, the donkey brayed, the cow mooed, the geese quacked, the rooster crowed, and Puss, true to her word, yowled and sprang at Old Fox with her sharp claws! The fox was so frightened by the terrible noise that he forgot to run until Puss struck at him. Then he took to his swiftest speed and away he went over the hill and far, far away, never to be seen near that farm again. He told his friends that a most horrible animal lived there, big enough to eat them all, for he had seen at least twenty feet and claws and heads of all sizes!

Introduction

Discover 'The Wise Old Gander,' a delightful fable by Abbie Phillips Walker from her 1913 collection 'The Sandman's Hour.' When a cunning fox threatens the barnyard, the wise old gander visits every farm animal to gather their ideas. The pig will grunt, the donkey will bray, the cat will yowl -- but the gander realizes that only by combining all their talents together can they truly stop the fox. A funny, engaging story about the power of teamwork that children will ask to hear again and again.

About Abbie Phillips Walker

Abbie Phillips Walker (1867-?) was an American author of children's stories, best known for her 'Sandman' series of books published in the early 20th century. Her tales feature woodland animals and fairies in charming stories that teach gentle moral lessons. Her works include 'The Sandman's Hour' (1913), 'Sandman's Goodnight Stories' (1921), 'Sandman's Rainy Day Stories' (1920), and other collections that have delighted young readers for over a century.

Values and Lessons

The Wise Old Gander is a masterful fable about the power of teamwork over individual pride. While the pig, donkey, dog, and cat each confidently declare they can handle the fox alone, the gander wisely recognizes that no single solution is enough. The humble cow, who admits she cannot do much but offers to help anyway, shows the value of modesty. The gander's genius is not in having the loudest voice or the sharpest claws, but in his ability to listen, think, and bring everyone together. The story teaches children that true leadership means combining everyone's strengths.

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The Wise Old Gander

Origin of the Story

This story comes from Abbie Phillips Walker's 'The Sandman's Hour,' published in 1913. It belongs to the rich tradition of animal fables where barnyard creatures must outwit a predator. The story shares similarities with the classic fairy tale 'The Musicians of Bremen' by the Brothers Grimm, where a group of animals combine their voices to frighten away robbers. Walker adapts this motif into a distinctly American farmyard setting with her characteristic humor and warmth.

About Abbie Phillips Walker

Values and Lessons

teamwork
wisdom
humility
leadership
community

Related Activities

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Discussion Activity
After reading the story, talk about teamwork! Ask children: Could any one animal have scared the fox alone? Why was the gander's plan better? Talk about times when working together with friends or family accomplished something that one person could not do alone. Which animal in the story do they think was the most helpful? Which was the most modest?
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Creative Activity
Act out the story! Assign each child an animal role -- pig, donkey, cow, cat, dog, rooster, or goose. Practice each animal sound individually, then have the 'gander' give the signal and everyone makes their noise at once! See how loud and surprising it is. Then draw a picture of all the animals scaring the fox, with the fox running away with a funny scared expression.
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Learning Activity
Explore animal sounds and their purposes! Listen to recordings of real farm animal sounds -- a dog barking, a donkey braying, a rooster crowing. Talk about why each animal makes its sound. Which sounds are warnings? Which are greetings? Discuss how real farm dogs and geese actually do protect barnyards from predators, connecting the story to real-world animal behavior.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓What is the moral of The Wise Old Gander?

The story teaches that teamwork is more powerful than individual effort. Each farm animal believed their own noise alone would scare the fox, but the wise gander understood that no single animal could do it. By combining everyone's unique abilities into one coordinated effort, they created something far more powerful than any of them could achieve alone. The story also shows the value of true wisdom -- seeking advice from many sources and then synthesizing the best plan.

❓Who wrote The Wise Old Gander?

This story was written by Abbie Phillips Walker and published in her 1913 collection 'The Sandman's Hour,' published by Harper & Brothers. Walker was an American children's author known for her charming animal fables and fairy tales that teach gentle moral lessons through entertaining narratives.

❓What age is this story appropriate for?

The Wise Old Gander is ideal for children ages 3 to 5. The farmyard setting with familiar animals is accessible and engaging for young children. The humor of each boastful animal and the exciting climax where all the animals scare the fox together make it a lively, entertaining read. The fox fleeing in terror provides a satisfying, triumphant ending without any real violence.

❓How long does it take to read The Wise Old Gander?

This story takes approximately 7 minutes to read aloud. Its episodic structure, with the gander visiting each animal in turn, creates natural pacing and keeps children engaged as they wonder what each new animal will say. The exciting climax where all the animals scare the fox at once is a highlight that children love.

❓What are the main themes in The Wise Old Gander?

The main themes include the power of teamwork and cooperation, the difference between boasting and true wisdom, the value of listening to many perspectives before making a decision, and the importance of community in the face of danger. The story is similar to classic fables like 'The Musicians of Bremen,' where animals combine their talents to overcome a threat.