"But please--" began Rudolf.

"No soap, no baking powder, no lightning rods, no hearth-brooms, no
cake tins, no life insurance--" rattled the Goose so rapidly that the
children could hardly understand her--"nothing at all to-day, _thank_
you!"

"But _we_ want something," Ann cried, "we want to come in!"

"I never let in peddlers," said the Goose, and she slammed the door in
their faces. As she slammed it one of her broad apron-strings caught
in the crack, and Rudolf seized the end of it. When the Goose opened
the door an inch or so to free herself he held on firmly and said:

"Tell us, please, are you the Warming-pan's aunt?"

The Gray Goose looked immensely pleased, but shook her head.

"Nothing so simple," said she, "nor, so to speak, commonplace, since
the relationship or connection if you will have it, is, though
perfectly to be distinguished, not always, as it were, entirely
clear, through his great-grandfather who, as I hope you are aware, was
a Dutch-Oven, having run away with a cousin of my mother's uncle's
stepfather, who was three times married, numbers one, two and three
all having children but none of 'em resembling one another in the
slightest, which, as you may have perceived, is only the beginning of
the story, but if you will now come in, not forgetting to wipe your
feet, and try to follow me very carefully, I'll be delighted to
explain all particulars."