One chore which required an older child, at least 10 years old, was herding the geese; these birds have been known to turn vicious when they see a small child alone in the field, chasing it down, and attacking it fiercely with their beaks.
    One Spring afternoon, when Anna was perhaps 4 years old, she decided to go to the meadow to pick flowers. Wandering alone, and holding her apron up in one hand, she began her search, picking flowers, one by one, and dropping them in her apron.
    "Mama will love these flowers," she thought. "She can put them in a little jar on the dinner table."
    Soon she was far from the house, but she could see her brothers working in the hay fields. Here and there a cow grazed nearby in the lush, green meadow grass. White sweeps of cloud moved and mingled overhead against a blue sky.
    Then suddenly, like a storm from nowhere, burst a flock of geese. They looked large and menacing as they headed straight for the little girl, flapping their wings and honking noisily.
    Anna screamed "HELP! HELP!" as loud as she could. "COME AND GET ME!"
    Her brothers did hear her, and came racing towards her, waving their arms and shouting, and just as the geese swarmed around her, Conrad scooped her up and away from danger!
    She was so relieved she burst into tears, and then laughter. Then her brothers began laughing and teasing her, saying things like, "Would you like to be a goose-girl when you grow up?" and "Let's take Anna back there so she can catch us a goose for Sunday dinner!" "And another one for feathers to stuff a pillow!" By the time they all reached the house, Anna was in good spirits again.
    When Conrad carried Anna into the house, and told their mother what had just happened, Anna began to cry again. Her mother took her from Conrad, and held her close in the rocking chair. She said "Hush now, Anna, don't cry. You're all safe now, but you must never go so far alone in the meadow."
    Then Anna remembered the flowers. "Mama," she said so sadly, "I picked a lot of flowers for you, But they all fell out of my apron into the grass when those bad geese came!"
    Everyone laughed, but kindly.
    "Well," said her mother, "another day you can pick a lot more for me, and with an older sister along to watch out for you."