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Austin, Leland, Milo, and Ruby, also known as "The Goose Eggs" are minor characters in the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz. They first appeared on March 11, 1977.

History

The storyline which introduced "The Goose Eggs" begins on February 25, 1977, when Charlie Brown becomes very annoyed at The Kite-Eating Tree. He decides to take revenge on the tree, and takes a bite out of it. A week later, Sally reads Charlie Brown a letter he has received from the United States Environmental Protection Agency. It says it is illegal to bite trees. Charlie Brown has to run away from home to avoid jail. As he does so, he is hit on the head by a stray baseball and rendered unconscious. Two toddlers responsible for this, named Ruby and Austin, wonder who this boy is, whereas Ruby suggests he may have been a US Army soldier returning to camp. Austin decides to take him to their play area and help him back on his feet. Charlie Brown wakes up, and the two toddlers apologize and introduce themselves, saying they have a baseball team. Charlie Brown soon finds himself as the manager of the team. Milo and Leland, two other children on the baseball team, are half Charlie Brown's height, while "the two biggest" on the team, Austin and Ruby, might be three. They always address Charlie Brown as "Charles" (the only other characters who called him that are Marcie and Eudora) and respect him as a wise elder, something he is completely unused to.

On March 30, Ruby names their team "The Goose Eggs", which is a baseball term for a zero score. The storyline ends when the visiting team turns out to be Charlie Brown's original team from home (Lucy says: "We can't play them! They're too little! We'd step on them!") and it is revealed that the evidence against Charlie Brown was destroyed in a storm. That means Charlie Brown can stop being a fugitive. Before he goes home, Charlie Brown says that because Lucy forfeited, the Goose Eggs won. The children are proud of their first victory, and Milo gives Charlie Brown encouragement saying that when he gets older, he wants to manage a team like him.

"The Goose Eggs" also appear in the animated television specials, It's an Adventure, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Celebration. Leland is seen in another special, It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown. Milo possibly has a non-speaking cameo in It's the Small Things, Charlie Brown. Austin, Leland, Milo and Ruby appear as a group with spoken dialogue in Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie, joined by a fifth member, Carlin.

A group (sort of) of small children similar to the Goose Eggs feature in a storyline starting October 8, 1987: a child named Leland, wearing a football helmet so large it covers his entire body, approaches Charlie Brown asking if "we" can join his football team. Charlie Brown explains he does not have one, and further questions what they mean by "we". As it turns out, there are three children inside the helmet. They even approach Peppermint Patty, who is taken aback by their small size. It is not clear if these characters were meant to be some of the Goose Eggs, although the name "Leland" is reused and they are once again mocked for their size.

Gallery

Trivia

  • Austin was introduced into Snoopy's Town Tale in September 2021 as part of the Oktoberfest event. He returned in November 2023 as part of the Game and Puzzle event.
  • Leland was introduced into Snoopy's Town Tale in November 2021 as part of the Beyond The Stars event. He returned in November 2022 as part of the Harvest Festival event. He returned again in August 2024 as part of A Rainy Summer event.
  • Ruby was introduced into Snoopy's Town Tale in December 2021 as part of the Winter Wonderland event. She returned in January 2023 as part of the Fair of Tomorrow event. She returned again in December 2023 as part of the Nutcracker event.
  • Milo was introduced into Snoopy's Town Tale in January 2022 as part of the Slumber Party event. He returned in April 2022 as part of the Love the Earth event. He returned again in November 2022 as part of the Harvest Festival event. He returned again in May 2023 as part of Writing a Novel event. He returned again in August 2024 as part of A Rainy Summer event.
  • Leland and Milo are so far, the only members of the team to make reappearances in a TV special.
  • Leland is strongly implied to have romantic feelings for Lucy, as he called pretty when he first met her.
  • Leland is the only member of the team to have a sibling.
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