“Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.” stammered Cooper as his sisters slowly peeked around the corner. There on the ground all around Coop were lots and lots and lots of geese, dead ones.

“What did you . . .” “How did you. . .” Where did you. . .” the three sisters all began to talk at once.

“Oh, Papa’s gonna be mad!” declares Reese.

“Now wait a minute. Let me tell you what

happened.” He began. “We all know 

what happened. You got out your gun and 

began shooting and shooting and shooting.” 

Riley said with a roll of her eyes.

“Exactly! OK, not exactly. Papa's friends took me to the Duck Club and we began to shoot. A whole bunch of us! I had no idea what was in the field. But as soon as we all began to shoot, all these creatures began to fly up. You know how you get bubble wrap and cannot pop just one? That was the way I felt. I needed to shoot down every last one of those feathered flyers. I think all of us there must have felt the same way. And then the guys left me with all of the goods!”

Cooper felt pretty good about presenting his case. One problem though: Campbell spoke up. “What in the world are you going to do with all these dead birds? No way will Mama want them in her freezer with or without their heads and feathers.”

There was silence for about 10 seconds.

“Ok,” Cooper started, “you guys all need to help me. We’ll give them away to everyone. We’ll walk up and down every street and pull the pile of them in the wagon. Deal?”

“No way!” announced Reese.

“Not on your life!” said Riley.

“Ok, I’ll help. Sounds like fun. Come on,

(Campbell nudged her sisters)

it’ll be an adventure! “

“Ew, gross.” Riley insisted. “But ok, I’m in.”

Reese agreed too, and they discussed the game plan.

Riley started, “There is no way my friends are going to see me trudging up and down streets with a bunch of dead birds! I’m going incognito.”

Reese and Campbell looked at each other. After Campbell explained to Reese what the word incognito meant, they agreed. “Yes!” they shouted together. Good idea. Let’s go change.”

Cooper stood in the middle of the driveway with a wagon full of dead birds. “Silly sisters,” he thought. “But if that’s what it takes, I’ll go along with it.”

The girls came running out dressed in their interpretion of incognito.

Cooper looked them over and all their eyes turned to Reese.

"Um, Reese? Is that what you want to wear?" Riley asked patiently.

"I couldn't find any incognito clothes in my closet so i figured no one would know it's me with my coat on and my hood up!"

While Cooper giggled, Riley and Campbell assured Reese that she would be fine in her winter coat. And then - they were ready to go off and hawk dead birds (no pun intended).

Just as they began to walk down their long driveway, they noticed Campbell lingering behind.

"I have a different idea, guys. Want to hear it?" she asked.

"Uh ok," the others agreed hesitantly.

"Maybe we should give these birds to folks who don't have any food. Maybe we could auction them off and raise some money for people who don't have what they need to eat. Our friends and neighbors can buy two birds and fix one to give away. With the money we get, we can buy the rest of the fixens' for a whole meal."

Campbell stood very still and waited for a response.

It seemed like a very long wait even though it was just a few seconds. Cooper shouted, "Yes! Great idea! Right, girls?"

After putting together a new plan, they took off in all directions. Cooper went up and down and up and down carrying all the geese upstairs and dropping them in the bathtub. Reese ran to all the neighbors to ask for ice so they could dump it on the birds in the tub. Riley began setting up what was needed for the auction. Campbell? Well, Campbell had the most important job of all: keeping Chloe from thinking what was in that tub was her lunch!