Agatha's Feather Bed — Carmen Agra Deedy

Agatha loves her new feather bed, but when six shivering, naked geese pay her a visit to discuss the origin of the feathers, is her goose cooked?

Agatha owns a weaving shop in Manhattan and likes to answer the questions of children who want to know the source of her beautiful fabrics. She always recites a little verse to them:

Everything comes from something,
Nothing comes from nothing.
Just like paper comes from trees,
And glass comes from sand,
An answer comes from a question.
All you have to do is ask.

Perhaps Agatha forgets her own advice, for one night her pleasant sleep is disrupted by six cranky, cold, naked geese. They want to discuss the source of the feathers keeping her so warm in her brand new feather bed. In a delightful O. Henry-inspired ending, Agatha arrives at a solution that benefits them all, teaching readers to understand the delicate balance between our resources and responsibilities.