As the Goose Flies

In Short

This whimsical adventure follows young Ellen, who feels unmoored by a rainy afternoon and a fragmented family memory. After stumbling into the world of Mother Goose, she sets off on a white gander to reach the house of the Queerbodies, where forgotten stories are recycled into new ones. Blending the logic of dreams with the comfort of familiar fairy tales, the book serves as both an imaginative romp and a meditation on the persistence of memory, enduring for its warmth and inventive play with the traditional canon.

The Story

Ellen begins her journey in a melancholy mood, watching the rain and wishing for the conclusion to a story her grandmother can no longer recall. Her curiosity draws her into Mother Goose’s realm, a place where characters like the Three Little Pigs and the old woman of Banbury Cross live out their days. Upon learning that "forgotten" stories are sent to the house of the Queerbodies, Ellen accepts the loan of a white gander to fly there.

The journey is perilous and episodic. Ellen encounters an array of legendary figures, including a spiteful, shaggy goat, the seven little kids, and the characters from the cautionary tale of Bluebeard. She frequently finds herself caught in the mechanics of famous stories—like the house of Hänsel and Gretel—and must use her wits to navigate or escape them. Guided by the gander, she helps a giant’s wife descend from the sky and encounters a genie who offers her immense wealth, which she wisely refuses, preferring her simple life at home.

As she approaches the Queerbodies’ home, the landscape grows increasingly abstract. She meets a boy who rides a magical pig and shares her goal of reaching the keepers of the stories. At the gate, they are granted access to a workshop where beings known as Queerbodies sort story elements—like "magic" or "witches"—into jars to construct new narratives. Ellen discovers that the forgotten tale her grandmother mourns is the story of Princess Goldenhair. By using her connection to the genie, she provides the missing pieces needed to complete the story.

The climax involves the liberation of Goldenhair, who is trapped under a wicked stepmother’s spell. With the help of a fairy youth, the stepmother is exposed and transformed into a raven, releasing the princess from her servitude. With the story finished, Ellen finds her way back to the nursery. When she recounts the tale to her grandmother, the old woman recognizes it, confirming that Ellen’s journey was not merely a dream, but a genuine act of reclamation. The book concludes with a quiet, lingering sense of magic, as the pair realizes that the stories of their youth remain alive as long as someone is willing to remember them.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins Ellen encounters Mother Goose in her nursery and learns that her grandmother’s forgotten story can be found only in the distant land of the Queerbodies. She overcomes her fear of flying, mounts the white gander, and leaves the familiar world behind.

Episodes of folklore Ellen navigates a series of encounters with well-known storybook archetypes, from the pigs of the brick house to the terrifying wolf. These meetings require her to solve problems, such as taming a fierce goat or helping a giant’s wife escape her high-altitude prison.

Crossing the desert The journey intensifies as Ellen travels through a gray, desolate landscape, encountering a giant dragon and the remnants of Aladdin’s magic. She must rely on her gander and her own courage to pass these obstacles without falling into the traps laid by the stories themselves.

The workshop of tales Ellen arrives at the gate of the Queerbodies, where she discovers that stories are constructed like puzzles from jars of ingredients. She realizes she must obtain a "castle" element to finish the story of Goldenhair and bring peace to the narrative.

The final reclamation Ellen successfully helps the fairy youth defeat a wicked queen, bringing the story of Goldenhair to its rightful close. She returns home to her grandmother, proving that the magic of the stories is eternal and that she has successfully restored a piece of their shared history.

The People

Ellen is a sensitive and curious child who feels a deep, intuitive pull toward the stories her grandmother has forgotten. Her defining trait is her sense of agency; she is not a passive observer but an active participant who negotiates with mythical beings and exercises moral judgment, refusing the genie’s tempting offers of power.

The Gander serves as Ellen’s loyal, sensible, and occasionally witty companion. He is the bridge between the human world and the fantastic, providing both transportation and sage advice. He often senses danger before Ellen does, acting as her protector throughout the long, arduous flight.

The Queerbodies are the stoic, industrious caretakers of human imagination. They are not heroes or villains, but functionaries of a higher order who painstakingly assemble the fragments of human memory into coherent tales. They represent the importance of preservation and the labor required to keep tradition alive.

The Grandmother is the source of the mystery. While she has become "so old" that the specifics of her stories have slipped away, her ability to recognize the finished tale at the end provides the emotional resolution of the journey, validating Ellen’s quest and bridging the gap between generations.

In Its Own Voice

"But Ellen was not thinking of any of these things; she was thinking of the story that her grandmother had forgotten again."

Ellen’s internal dissatisfaction at the beginning of the book sets her quest in motion.

"Then she fastened a stout twine, that the pigs had given her, about the goat's neck, and led him forth."

This moment highlights Ellen’s unexpected ability to resolve conflicts through cleverness rather than force.

"It is a long time ago, and I forget. I am so old--so old, little Clara."

This poignant admission underscores the fragility of memory and the central loss that fuels the entire adventure.

What It's Really About

The book explores the nature of storytelling as an act of heritage. It argues that stories are not static objects but living entities that require human participation to remain vibrant. The "Queerbodies" serve as a metaphor for the way culture sorts, stores, and repurposes narrative tropes; the book suggests that when we forget a story, we don't just lose the entertainment, but a piece of our personal and collective identity. Ultimately, the story posits that the boundary between the "real" world and the world of myth is thinner than we assume, and that an active imagination is the key to maintaining that connection.

Why Read It Today

This book is a quiet, contemplative treasure for readers who enjoy the classic, atmospheric fantasy of the turn of the century. It feels like a long, wandering dream—the kind that shifts from the comfort of a nursery rhyme to the shadow of a dark forest without ever breaking its internal logic. It is particularly rewarding for those interested in the history of juvenile literature and how early-20th-century authors reimagined the shared vocabulary of fairy tales.

Readers should be prepared for the pace of a 1901 narrative, which favors descriptive exploration over the rapid-fire action of modern stories. The prose is earnest and rhythmic, reflecting the period’s penchant for moralizing, though Ellen herself remains a refreshingly brave and humble protagonist. Some of the period-specific attitudes—such as the depiction of the Queerbodies as simple workers and the rigid gender roles—are characteristic of the time. However, the core of the experience remains a delightful and deeply comforting journey. If you appreciate the feeling of being read to, or the idea that stories possess a life of their own, you will find this a beautiful and enduring companion.