Passage2(1)Ifyou’veeverwitnessedthemajestyofaCanadiangooseflockflyingintotheclouds,youknowthatthesenoblebirdsareaforcetobereckonedwith.Eachflockiscomprisedofcoupleswhomateforlife,aswellastheirgoslings.Together,theyareonelargefamily.Apart,theyareindividualswithquirksandpersonalities,justlikeus.Nooneknowsthismorethanmyfamily,whoraisedasillylittlegoosewenamedPeeperafterhewasabandonedasababy.(2)In2000,whenIwasaroundsevenyearsold,myparents,sister,brother,andIwerecomingbackfromaT-ballgame.Thatwasourusualweekendadventure,butunlikeeveryotherweekend,asurprisewaswaitingforusinourdriveway.There,wespottedtwoadultgeeseandasmallgosling.Theadultswerestartledbyourreturnandflewaway,buttheirbabywasstilltooyoungtoflyandcouldn’tfollow.Wearenostrangerstothewaysofwildlife,soweknewtoavoidphysicalcontactwiththeyounggoslingoutoffearthatitwouldimprintuponusandbelosttoitsfamilyforever.(3)Hourspassed,andnightfell.Withitcameadeepchillandafearofwatchfulpredators.Thetinylittlethingwaswanderingaroundouryard,unawareofwhatcouldhappen,anditwasclearthatthegoslingneededprotection,warmth,andsustenancetomakeittothemorning.Atthatpoint,weknewwehadtointervene,andwebroughthimontoourbackporch.(4)Weallprettymuchsleptwithoneeyeopentillmorningcame.Andthenanothermorning.Andstillanother.Eachmorning,wewouldtrytoscurrythegooseovertohisparents,whokeptcomingbacktoouryard.Hewouldn’tgotothem,though,andtheywouldn’tcomecloseenoughtoclaimhim.Wekeptthisupforfivedays,butnoluck.Bythen,theyounggoosehadclearlydecidedwewerehisnewfamily,sowehadtogivehimaname.MysisterJoannacalledthelittleguyPeeper,becausehewouldfollowusaroundtheyardmakingapeepingnoise,nonstop.WealsodecidedthatPeeperwasaboy.Idon’tknowwhy;itjustfeltright.(5)Daysturnedintoweeks,andweeksturnedintomonthsuntilalmostayearpassed.Wesettledintoaroutinefilledwithfeatheryhugsandcamaraderie.Peepersleptonourbackporcheachnightand,intypicalgoosefashion,useditasalatrine.Mydadwouldsprayoffallthegoosedroppingsdailywithahose.PartofthisritualincludedDadthrowingPeeperupintotheairsohecouldflyalooparoundthehouse,comingbackagainoncetheporchwasclean.(6)Oneevening,myunclewasover,andmydadwantedtoshowhimPeeper’sloop.Hethrewhimupintheair,butthistime,Peeperjustflewoff.Everyonewasvery,verysad.Itwasdark,andwewereworried.Welookedforhimfordays,callinghisname,buthedidn’tcomeback.Wehopedhefoundaflockandwentoffonhisnaturalway.(7)Again,daysturnedintoweeksandweeksturnedintomonths,thenyears.Imissedmylittlebuddy,andIwouldcallforhimeverytimeIsawaflockofCanadiangeeseflybyinV-formation.Twentyyearspassed,andPeeperbecameafondmemoryformyfamily.(8)Geeselivetobearound25yearsold,areveryloyal,andneverforgettheirfirsthome.Evenso,itcameasatotalshocktomewhen,in2019,anageingadultgoosemadehiswaybacktomyfamilyhome.Geeselovehouseswithlarge,greenlawnstoeaton;theflatterrainalsomakesiteasyforthemtoscoutforpredators.So,atfirst,Iassumeditwasjustanothergoose.Andyet,somethingaboutthelonemaleseemedoddlyfamiliartome.(9)Aftertwoweeksofthegoosecomingbackrepeatedly,itbecamecleartomethatthiswasn’tarandomgoose.HedidallofthesamethingsPeeperusedto,liketryingtocomeinthroughthefrontdoorandsleepinginourenclosedpoolarea.InadditiontomimickingPeeper’soldways,thisgoosealsorespondedtothenamePeeper.Muchtomyamazement,myoldbestfriendhadreturned,20yearslater.(10)WhydidPeeperreturn?It’shardtosay.Perhapshismatedied,leavinghimlonely.It’salsopossiblethatheisapproachinghistwilightyearsandknowsit,makinghimcravehisearlyhome.Thisbehaviouristypicalofgeese.Whateverthereason,Peepercontinuestolivewithme.It’sagoodthingIstayedinmychildhoodhome.(11)Hedoesn’tcomehomeeverysinglenightthewayhedidasababy.Somenightshemayseekoutthecomfortofhisownkindatthelakenearby.Geeseinthewildtypicallysleeponwater.Buthe’sherealot,makinghispresenceknownandgivingmejoy.(12)Thisexperiencehasbeenasmeaningfultomeasanythinginmylife.Ihopethatmychildren,someday,havetheopportunitytoconnectwithnatureandawildbeinginthissameway.Peoplecraveconnectionwiththenaturalworld.ThroughPeeper,Ihavelearnedsomuchaboutmyselfandaboutthenatureoflove.46.Theword“spotted”(Para.2)means____.