He wheeled and stuck his head out again, as much as to say, 'Now come on, if you dare!" "The gander came on promptly--so promptly, in fact, that the lightning stroke of his heavy bill knocked Young Grumpy far back into the hole again.
"In a great rage, the gander darted his head into the hole.

Chattering with indignation, Young Grumpy set his long teeth into that intruding bill, and tried to pull it further in.

The gander, much taken aback at this turn of affairs, tried to pull it out again.

For perhaps half a minute it was a very good tug-of-war.

Then the superior weight and strength of the great bird, with all the advantage of his beating wings, suddenly triumphed, and Young Grumpy, too pig-headed to let go his hold, was jerked forth once more into the open.
"The next moment another blow from one of those mighty wing elbows all but stunned him, and his grip relaxed.