Struggling inside the goose, Hector discovered a golden egg. “We’ll be rich and famous!” he thought as he excitedly took it home to his wife Maria.
“Oh Hector!” she exclaimed after seeing the egg. “We’ll be rich and famous!”
Days, months, and years past. Maria said to Hector every second day. “Why aren’t we rich and famous?!” Hector shrugged his shoulders every second day, and ate his soup with a bitter grimace.
Maria hung the clothes on the line. All the while wondering to herself, “Why aren’t we rich and famous.” She cooked the evening meal, and washed the dishes wondering, “Why aren’t we rich and famous.” But what could they do. Her lacking Ingrid Bergman's looks and Edie Brickell's voice and Hector simply lacking. What could they do…
Maria pondered the question endlessly but the problem was bigger than her, the problem may even have been bigger than the goose, and it was certainly bigger than the egg. The Egg! That was the problem. No one knew about the egg. There had been one article in the local newspaper which featured a front page photo of Hector, Maria and the egg, but it was never picked up by the National Press and the egg looked rather regular in black and white. There had been mention of a fluff piece on provincial television news but that went up in smoke with the invention of the flying typewriter.
There followed days and weeks of hand-wringing and pacing and evenings of prayers. Even Hector spent many an evening with his elbows solidly on the kitchen table while pulling at his great, greying beard. Finally one night after putting the cat to bed Maria had an idea.
"What we need" she exclaimed to Hector "is a goose egg of finer stuff! Perhaps a diamond egg, or a ruby egg" she waved her hands frantically "or an emerald egg would go lovely with my eyes. I think you need to get back to struggling Hector. We've been moping around for far too long. You need to get back inside that goose and if that doesn't work try chickens, ducks, any fowl you can find. I'd even settle for a platinum hummingbird egg."
Hector harumphed, but he did like to make his wife happy, so up he got and out in the world he began to struggle again. Wouldn't you know it, it wasn't long before Hector made good. Not a fancier egg like Maria had hoped but another golden egg and he took it back to her triumphantly. "We'll be rich and famous this time for sure! Two golden eggs!!" he rubbed his hands together.
Another black and white picture of the two of them and their eggs in the local paper was the only publicity they got. In fact this egg seemed to be attracting less attention than the first. Nary a neighbour came to call nor a priest to visit. And so early one morning when Hector had had enough he went to the kitchen and found the sharpest paring knife he could find. He placed the eggs on the counter and began to slice. He etched a picture of the Queen on one side of each slice and after that he etched a Loon on each of the other sides. Happy with his work Hector put the slices in his pocket and walked into town.
It wasn't too long before Hector returned. Two extra large steaming hot coffees and two chocolate croissants in hand. He sat down in the kitchen with Maria. A more enjoyable breakfast than the two of them had had in many a long time. Afterwards Hector dusted himself off and pulled down the hatchet that hung on the wall by the back door before striding out into the yard.
That night they feasted on goose.