They could hear angry voices coming from the shop.

"It sounds like an argument," Mandy said.

James nodded. "If Mr. Barber is around, I'm not surprised. He seems to argue with everybody."

"That sounds like Ernie Bell," Mandy said.

Ernie Bell was a church bell ringer along with her grandpa and Walter Pickard. He was a retired carpenter and lived a few doors down from Walter in the row of cottages behind the Fox and Goose. He had a pet squirrel named Sammy and a cat called Twinkie. He wasn't the easiest person to get along with but Mandy had never heard him shouting at anyone.

Mandy pushed open the door of the post office. She loved this shop; it was like Aladdin's cave. You could buy all kinds of things here. There were big glass jars of chocolate mints and licorice sticks and other old-fashioned sweets on the shelves. It seemed that whenever you needed something, McFarlanes' would have it. And there was always a smile and a welcome from Mrs. McFarlane. It was a shock to see Mr. Barber behind the counter instead of the familiar figure of Mrs. McFarlane in her blue gingham overalls.

"Rules are rules!" Mr. Barber was saying to Ernie Bell.

Ernie's face was red. He took off his cloth cap and rubbed his bristly grey hair. "But I told you. I mixed up the labels on that package," he said.

Mandy looked with interest at the walking stick Ernie was carrying. She had never seen him with a walking stick before.

Mr. Barber shook his head. "You shouldn't make mistakes," he said. "You should be more careful. You've handed over the package. Technically you've mailed it. Now it has to be delivered - just as it is." And he picked up a pipe and stuck it between his teeth.

"I've never heard such nonsense in my life!" said Ernie, banging his walking stick on the floor. "The package is lying there right in front of you. All you have to do is give it back to me. My little granddaughter is going to get a dump truck for her birthday instead of the doll that she wanted. And I've got to send the dump truck to my grandson. If I don't get that parcel back little Emily will get the wrong present and Bobby won't get a present at all!"

Mr. Barber drew himself up and puffed out his chest. He took his pipe out of his mouth and tapped the stem of it on the brown paper parcel lying on the counter on the other side of the screen. "I told you," he said. "Rules are rules. That's the trouble with people these days. They don't stick to the rules!"

Ernie Bell spluttered with anger. "Mrs. McFarlane wouldn't talk such nonsense," he said.

Mr. Barber leaned over the counter. "Mrs. McFarlane is not in charge of this post office for the time being," he said. "I am. And I'm going to make sure it is run properly. I don't put up with inefficiency and forgetfulness. And I don't put up with breaking the rules," he finished.

Ernie Bell gave a final snort, clapped his hat back on his head, shook his stick at Mr. Barber, and stomped out of the post office.

"Hello, Mr. Bell," Mandy said as he passed.

Ernie looked at her . "Harrumph!" he said. He jerked his head toward Mr. Barber. "I suppose Mr. Perfect Postmaster never makes mistakes," he said as he went out the door.

Mandy turned to Mr. Barber and her heart sank. He was stamping forms on the other side of the counter. He looked as if he were enjoying it. Stamp, stamp, STAMP, he went. Each stamp was louder than the last. His mouth was set in an angry line and his pipe was clenched tightly between his teeth. Things weren't looking too good. It certainly didn't seem to be the time to ask Mr. Barber about Gussie. But they had no other choice.

"Mr. Barber," Mandy began.

Mr. Barber looked up. "Oh, it's you two," he said. "And what do you want? Don't you go touching anything now. I've got everything neat and tidy and I don't want you disarranging things."

Mandy swallowed.

"It's about the raffle," James said, plunging in.

"What about it?" said Mr. Barber. Then he saw Blackie. "And get that dog out of my post office," he said. "No dogs allowed."

"But Mrs. McFarlane never minds," said James.

Mr. Barber drew himself up and James took a step back.

"Whose in charge here?" he said. "I said out and I mean out."

Blackie looked up quickly at the tone of Mr. Barber's voice. He was threatening James and Blackie didn't like that. He growled softly.

Mr. Barber jumped. "See what I mean!" he said. "Vicious things, dogs. Get it out of here and don't bring it in again!"

Mandy couldn't help herself. "It isn't an it, it's a he," she said. "And he only growled because you shouted at James. Blackie thought you were threatening him."

Mr. Barber took his pipe out of his mouth and struck it on the counter. "Threatening!" he shouted. "So now it's threatening to tell somebody the rules, is it? You get that animal out of here and yourself with it. Troublemakers!"

Mandy looked at James and shrugged. James took Blackie's collar and pushed the Labrador out the door. "Stay!" he said, and closed the door on Blackie.

Mandy looked closely at Mr. Barber. He seemed to relax a little once Blackie was gone. Was Mr. Barber really afraid of dogs? She dismissed the thought. How could anyone be afraid of Blackie? She took a deep breath.

"Mr. Barber, we have to talk to you about the prize you won in the raffle," she said.

"Can't you see I'm busy!" said Mr. Barber, stamping away.

"But it's important," said Mandy. "You see, you got the wrong goose."

"You were supposed to get a goose from Twyford Farm," said James. "But Mr. Hadcroft made a mistake and took the wrong goose."

"More mistakes!" said Mr. Barber. "This village is full of people who make mistakes!"

"Everybody makes mistakes sometimes," said James.

Mr. Barber stopped stamping his forms and looked up. "I don't," he said. Then he started stamping again, louder than ever.

Mandy raised her voice. "You got little Penny Hapwell's pet goose," she said. "She's named Gussie and we're supposed to be taking care of her for Penny."

"So if you give us Gussie back, we'll get you another goose," said James.

"Or you can go and choose any one you like from Twyford Farm," said Mandy. "We've already spoken to Mr. Hapwell."

Mr. Barber stopped stamping and looked at them through the screen. "And what would I want to do that for?" he said. "I've got a goose."

"But that goose is Penny's pet," said Mandy.

Mr. Barber leaned toward them. "I told the vicar and I'll tell you and anybody else that asks," he said. "I won that goose fair and square in the raffle. All according to the rules. I bought a ticket and I won the goose. It's mine and nobody else's. If people make mistakes they've only got themselves to blame. As for having a goose for a pet, I've never heard anything so ridiculous."