The Sleep of Birds 



WHEN, " like ships riding at anchor," ducks or geese 

 float asleep at night on a pond, they are secure from 

 any fox who may prowl around the farmyard ; and the 

 fox who attempts to attack them may pay the death- 

 penalty. An old story tells how a fox swam out into a 

 pond for a goose supper one night, and was found 

 drowned next morning. It was supposed that a 

 ferocious old gander, who was more at home in the 

 water than the fox, had so valiantly buffeted him 

 about the head with its wings, that poor reynard 

 found no escape possible, and at last sank from ex- 

 haustion. 



When the duck-pond is frozen, the farmer may 

 break the ice at the edge to prevent Mr. Fox walking 

 out to attack his sleeping ducks. Occasionally a 

 fox has been known to meet his death by breaking 

 through thin ice when stealing out after a duck or 

 other water-bird. 



When ducks sleep on moving water, which may 

 carry them to a shore, and all the dangers of the 

 shore, they paddle with their feet, automatically and 

 unconsciously, to keep themselves safely afloat. 



Some birds go very warily to roost ; others go very 

 carelessly, chattering, singing, or crowing ; and some 

 go to roost almost as deliberately as we ourselves go 

 to bed at bed-time. 



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