A moment of silence followed the announcement,
Til Thom said, "We're dead," like a final pronouncement.
"But she was stealing that goose," Roxie pointed out with some zeal;
"I don't know much, but I know we ain't 'sposed to steal."
Albert agreed it was true 'bout the stealing,
But on the subject he had some mixed feeling.

"Mum said something strange," he told the others,
"'Bout the structure of families, children and mothers.
She told me she loves us a very great deal,
Which is why she resorted to stealing our meal.
For Christmas she wanted to give us some cheer,
So she asked for the Ends to get us out of here.
She did it for fun, an innocent game,
Not a plot to kill, or a plot to maim.
And It wasn't until she found the knife,
That she thought of taking a goose's life.

"Bailing enroute to visit the Queen,
You see was not an act obscene,
But necessary to create this feast
Of veggies and cornmeal and wild winged beast.

"Too bad her diversion backfired so;
Her pure intentions her kids did not know.
Twas to be a surprise, and I guess that it was;
For the Ends and for Mummy and for all of us."

"Hear hear," said the twins, shaken a bit.
"When she awakens she'll have a great fit.
Might we suggest that we make out the best
Of this sitch by not putting her love to the test?
Let us all eat and try to be merry,
'Til we have to flee from this shoe in a hurry.
For mum has a rage which we all have seen,
And when she comes to she's sure to be mean."

"But," Albert argued, "I'm sure that she's not,
Void of the feelings that all of us got."
"Maybe she isn't," Roxie put in,
"But that's to be seen, and just who knows when?
I say we chow down, enjoy if we can,
Then leave together while we've still got a clan."

So the children considered both sides of the issue,
Then voted by tearing one side of a tissue.
A left tear supported the cause for retreat;
A right tear surrendered to mum in defeat.
And after the tally was taken that night,
There were five on the left, and just one on the right.
"I guess I'm defeated," Al observed at great length;
"We'd best eat some food now to give us some strength."

THEY ate all in silence, while their mum there lay,
Wondering the fortunes of the coming day.
Timmy, upstairs sucking his thumb,
Had no say in the things that would come.
Not that it mattered, he was just one voice,
And hardly had practice at making a choice.
So away he'd be carted to faraway lands,
And a life of fate at his siblings' hands.

Richard ate quickly, thinking ahead,
To a time and a place where he'd always be fed.
The twins ate as always, picking their food,
Just trusting the items they knew to be good.
While Thomas ate slowly, immersed in thought,
'Bout them all together where their mum was not.
When she came to she'd have her Waterloo,
Finding her children were gone from the shoe.

And Albert had all but lost his appetite,
Wishing so much that they all had been right.
"It isn't fair," he said with a pout,
"That we leave our mum here while she still is knocked out."
"What do you think?" Roxie asked low,
"We should ask her for permission to go?"
Albert fell silent, his hands feeling tied,
Knowing the others would not take his side.

When it came time to go, the kids packed their stuff;
All except Albert who was still feeling gruff.
As they gathered downstairs, there by the door,
Albert expressed his concern as before.
"So I am staying," he said feeling brave,
"To nurse our poor mummy back from her grave.
I know you don't like this and think I'm a fool,
Because she's been nasty and a bit cruel.

"But I think I'm right, that with some luck,
She'll mellow out of this mood she's been stuck."

ALBERT soon learned, when his mummy came to,
That instead of hers it was his Waterloo.