STORY-TELLING 



5567 



STORY-TELLING 



me see the egg. Yes, that's a turkey's egg. Let 

 it lie there, and do you teach the other children 

 to swim." 



"I think I will sit on it a little longer," said 

 the Duck. "I've sat so long now that I can sit 

 a few days more." 



"Just as you please," said the old Duck ; and 

 she went away. 



At last the great egg burst. "Pip ! pip !" said 

 the little one, and crept forth. He was so big 

 and ugly. The Duck looked at him. 



"It's a very large Duckling," said she. "None 

 of the others looks like that; it really must be 

 a turkey chick ! Well, we shall soon find out. 

 Into the water shall he go even if I have to 

 push him in." 



The next day it was bright, beautiful weather ; 

 the sun shone on all the green burdocks. The 

 Mother Duck with all her family went down to 

 the canal. Splash ! she jumped into the water. 

 "Quack ! quack !" she said, and one duckling after 

 another plumped in. The water closed over their 

 heads, but they came up in an instant, and 

 swam off finely; their legs went of themselves, 

 and they were all in the water ; even the ugly 

 gray Duckling swam with them. 



"No, it's not a turkey," said she ; "look how 

 well he uses his legs, how straight he holds him- 

 self. It is my own child ! On the whole, he's 

 quite pretty, when one looks at him rightly. 

 Quack ! quack ! come now with me, and I'll lead 

 you out into the world, and present you in the 

 duck yard ; but keep close to me all the time, so 

 that no one may tread on you, and look out for 

 the cats." 



And so they came into the duck yard. There 

 was a terrible row going on in there, for two 

 families were fighting about an eel's head, and 

 so the cat got it. 



"See, that's the way it goes in the world !" 

 said the Mother Duck, and she whetted her beak, 

 for she too wanted the eel's head. "Only use 

 your legs," she said. "See that you can bustle 

 about, and bend your necks before the old Duck 

 yonder. She's the grandest of all here ; she's of 

 Spanish blood that's why she's so fat ; and do 

 you see? she has a red rag around her leg ; 

 that's something very, very fine, and the greatest 

 mark of honor a Duck can have ; it means that 

 one does not want to lose her, .and that she's 

 known by the animals and by men, too. Hurry ! 

 hurry ! don't turn in your toes ; a well-brought- 

 up Duck turns its toes quite out, just like father 

 and mother so ! Now bend your necks and 

 say 'Quack !' " 



And they did so ; but the other Ducks round 

 about looked at them, and said quite boldly: 



"Look there ! now we're to have this crowd, 

 too ! as if there were not enough of us already ! 

 And fie ! how that Duckling yonder looks ; we 

 won't stand that !" And at once one Duck flew 

 at him and bit him in the neck. 



"Let him alone," said the mother ; "he is not 

 doing anything to anyone." 



"Yes, but he's too large and odd," said the 

 Duck who had bitten him, "and so he must be 

 put down." 



"Those are pretty children the mother has," 

 said the old Duck with the rag round her leg. 

 "They're all pretty but that one ; that is rather 



unlucky. I wish she could have that one over 

 again." 



"That cannot be done, my lady," said the 

 Mother Duck. "He is not pretty, but he has a 

 really good temper, and swims as well as any 

 of the others ; yes, I may even say it, a little 

 better. I think he will grow up pretty ; perhaps 



"IF THE CAT WOULD ONLY CATCH YOU!" 



in time he will grow a little smaller ; he lay too 

 long in the egg, and therefore he has not quite 

 the right shape." And she pinched him in the 

 neck, and smoothed his feathers. "Besides, he 

 is a drake," she said, "and so it does not matter 

 much. I think he will be very strong : he makes 

 his way already." 



"The other ducklings are graceful enough," 

 said the old Duck. "Make yourself at home ; and 

 if you find an eel's head, you may bring it to 

 me." 



And now they were at home. But the poor 

 Duckling 1 who had crept last out of the egg, and 

 looked so ugly, was bitten and pushed and made 

 fun of, as much by the ducks as by the chickens. 



"He is too big !" they all said. And the turkey 

 cock, who had been born with spurs, and so 

 thought he was an emperor, blew himself up, like 

 a ship in full sail, and bore straight down upon 

 him ; then he gobbled and grew quite red in the 

 face. The poor Duckling did not know where 

 he dared stand or walk ; he was quite unhappy 

 because he looked ugly, and was the sport of the 

 whole duck yard. 



So it went on the first day ; and then it grew 

 worse and worse. The poor Duckling was hunted 

 about by every one ; even his brothers and sisters 

 were quite angry with him, and said, "If the cat 

 would only catch you, you ugly creature !" And 

 the ducks bit him, and the chickens beat him, and 



