GAVIA OF IMMER LAKE 



month for the birth of their twins, growing all this 

 time inside those two strong eggshells. At last, how- 

 ever, the nest held the two babies, all feathered with 

 down from the very first, black on their backs and gray 

 shading into white beneath. 



Did I say the nest held them? Well, so it did for a 

 few hours. After that, they swam the waters of Immer 

 Lake, and their nest was home no longer. Peter Piper's 

 children themselves were not more quick to run than 

 Gavia's twins were to swim and dive. 



I think, perhaps, they were named Olair; for Gavia 

 often spoke in a very soft mellow tone, saying, ^ ^ Olair''; 

 and her voice, though a bit sad, had a pleasing sound. 

 So we will call them the two Olairs. 



They were darlings, those baby loons, swimming about 

 (though not very fast at first), and diving out of sight 

 in the water every now and then (but not staying un- 

 der very long at the beginning) . Then, when they were 

 tired or in a hurry, they would ride on the backs of 

 Gavia and Father Loon : and they liked it fine, 'sailing 

 over the water with no trouble at all, just as if they 

 were in a boat, with someone else to do the rowing. 



Oh, yes, they were darlings! Had you seen one of 

 them, you could hardly have helped wanting to cuddle 

 him. But do you think you could catch one, even the 

 youngest? Not a bit of it. If you had given chase in 



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