the goose hangs high

Everything is to your liking. A plucked goose hanging in a larder is a sign that the family will have something to eat for the foreseeable future. But why is it hanging high? That may mean the bird is safe from rodents and other predators, or it could refer to something entirely different: a skein of flying geese fly close to the ground in bad weather, but high when conditions are good. In either case, a goose hanging high is a good thing— except for the goose.