"Certainly-ertainly-ertainly," said the gander.
"You may have the egg. But I'll tell you one thing, Templeton, if I ever catch you poking-oking-oking your ugly nose around your goslings, I'll give you the worsr pounding a rat ever took."
And the gander opened his strong wings and beat the air with them to show his power.
He was strong and brave, but the truth is, both the goose and the gander were worried about Templeton.
And with good reason.
The rat had no morals, no conscience, no scruples, on consideration, no decency, no milk if rodent kindness, no compunctions, on higher feeling, no friendliness, no anything.
He would kill a gosling if he could get away with it- the goose knew that.
Everybodt knew it.
With her broad bill the goose pushed the unhatched egg out of the nest, and the entrie company watched in disgust while the rat rolled it away.
Even Wilbur, who could eat amlost anything, was appalled.
"Imagine wanting a junky old rotten egg!" he muttered.
"A rat is a rat," said Charlotte.
She laughed a tinking little laugh.
"But, my friends, if that ancient egg ever breaks, this barn will be untenable."
"What's that mean?" asked Wilbur.
"It means nobody will be able to live here on account of the smell.
A rotten egg is a regular stink bomb."
"I won't break it," snarled Templeton.
"I know what I'm doing. I handle stuff like this all the time."