Why the Geese Shrieked
I.B.Singer
On our home there was always talk about spirits of the dead that possess the bodies of the living， souls reincarnatedreincarnate as animals， houses inhabited by hobgoblinshobgoblin， cellars haunted by demonsdemon. My father spoke of these things，first of all because he was interested in them，and second because in a big city children so easily go astraygo astray. They go everywhere， see everything， read non-religious books. It is necessary to remind them from time to time that there are still mysterious forces at work in the world.
One day，when I was about eight，he told us a story found in one of the holy books. If I am not mistaken， the author of that book is Rabbi Eliyahu Graidiker，or one of the other Graidiker Sages. The story was about a girl possessed by four demons. It was said that they could actually be seen crawling around in her intestines， blowing up her belly， wandering from one part of her body to another， slithering into her legs. The Rabbi of Graidid had exorcised the evil spirits with the blowing of the ram’s horn， with incantationsincantation，and the incense of magic herbs.
When my brother Joshua questioned these things，my father became very excited. He argued：“Was then the great Rabbi of Graidik， God forbid，a liar？ Are all the rabbis， saints， and sages deceivers， while only atheists speak the truth？ Woe is us！ How can one be so blind？”
Suddenly the door opened，and a woman entered. She was carrying a basket with two geese in it. The woman looked frightened. Her matron‘s wig was tilted to one side. She smiled nervously.
Father never looked at strange women， because it is forbidding by Jewish law， but Mother and we children saw immediately that something had greatly upset our unexpected visitor.
“What is it？” father asked， at the same time turning his back so as not to look upon her“Rabbi， I have a very unusual problem.”
“What is it？”
“It’s about these geese.”
“What‘s the matter with them？”
“Dear Rabbi， the geese were slaughtered properly. Then I cut off their heads.I took out the intestinesintestine， the livers，all the other organs， but the geese keep shrieking in such a sorrowful voice…”
Upon hearing these words， my father turned pale. A dreadful fear befell me，tooBut my mother came from a family of rationalists and was by nature a skepticskeptic.
“Slaughtered geese don’t shriek.” she said.
“You will hear for yourself.” replied the woman.
She took one of the geese and placed it on the table Then she took out the second goose. The geese were headless， disemboweled-in short ordinary dead geese.
A smile appeared on my mother‘s lips.“And these geese shriek？”
“You will soon bear.”
The woman took one goose and hurled it against the other.At once a shriek was heard. It is not easy to describe that sound. It was like the cackling of a goose，but in such a high pitch， with such groaning and quacking，that my limbs grew cold. I could actually feel the hairs on my earlocks pricking me. I wanted to run from the room. But where would I run？ My throat constrictedconstrict with fear. Then I， too，shrieked and clung to my mother’s skirt， like a child of three.
Father forgot that man must avert one‘s eyes from a woman He ran to the table. He was no less frightened than I wasHis red beard trembled. In his blue eyes could be seen a mixture of fear and vindicationvindicationFor my father this was a sign that not only to the Rabbi of Graidik， but to him too，omensomen n.预兆， 征兆 were sent from heaven But perhaps this was a sign from the Evil One， from Satan himself？
“What do you say now？” asked the woman.
My mother was no longer smiling. In her eyes there was something like sadness， and also anger.
“I cannot understand what is going on here.” she said，with a certain resentment.
“Do you want to hear it again？”
Again the woman threw one goose against the other. And again the dead geese gave forth an uncanny shriekshriek-the shriek of dump creatures slain by the slaughterslaughter knife who yet retain a living force； who still have a reckoningreckon to make with the living，an injustice to avenge. A chill crept over me. I felt as though someone had struck me with all his might.
My father’s voice became hoarse. It was broken as though by sobs.“Well， can anyone still doubt that there is a Creator？” he asked“Rabbi，what shall I do and where shall I go？” The woman began to crooncroon in a mournful singsong.“What has befallen me？ Woe is me！ What shall I do with them？ Perhaps I should run to one of the Wonder Rabbls？ Perhaps they were not slaughtered properly？ I am afraid to take them home. I wanted to prepare them for the Sabbath meal， and now， such a calamitycalamity ！ Holy Rabbi， what shall I do？ Must I throw them out？ Someone said they must be wrapped in shrouds and buried in a grave I am a poor woman. Two geese！ They cost me a fortune！”
Father did not know what to answer He glanced at his bookcase. If there was an answer anywhere， it must be there.
Suddenly he looked angrily at my mother， “And what do you say now，eh？”
Mother‘s face was growing sullen，smaller sharper.In her eyes could be seen indignation and also something like shame.
“I want to hear it again” Her words were half-pleading，half commanding.
The woman hurled the geese against each other for the third time，and for the third time the shrieks were heard.It occurred to me that such must have been the voice of the sacrificialsacrificial heiferheifer.
“Woe，woe， and still they they blasphemeblaspheme… It is written that the wicked do not repentrepent even at the very gates of hell.” Father had again begun to speak.“They behold the truth with their own eyes，and they continue to deny their Maker. They are dragged into the bottomless pit and they maintain that all is nature， or accident…”
He looked at Mother as if go say： “You take after them.”
For a long time there was silence.Then the woman asked，“Well，did I just imagine it？”
Suddenly my mother laughed. There was something in her laughter that made us all tremble. I knew，by some sixth sense， that Mother was preparing to end the mighty drama being enactedenact before our eyes.
“Did you remove the windpipes？” my mother asked.
“The windpipes？ No …”
“Take them out，” said my mother，“and the geese will stop shrieking.”
My father became angry. “What are you babbling？ What has this got to do with windpipes？”