IO THE HEN THAT HATCHED DUCKS. 



Doctor's prescriptions, murmured at the muriate of fleas 

 and the bicarbonate of frogs' toes, and took every oppor- 

 tunity to waddle their little ways down to the mud and 

 water which was in their near vicinity. So their bills 

 grew larger and larger, as did the rest of their bodies, 

 and family government grew weaker and weaker. 



"You'll wear me out, children, you certainly will," said 

 poor Mrs. Feathertop. 



" You '11 go to destruction, do ye hear ? " said Master 

 Gray Cock. 



" Did you ever see such frights as poor Mrs. Feathertop 

 has got ? " said Dame Scratchard. " I knew what would 

 come of her family, all deformed, and with a dreadful 

 sort of madness, which makes them love to shovel mud 

 with those shocking spoon-bills of theirs." 



"It's a kind of idiocy," said Goody Kertarkut. "Poor 

 things ! they can't be kept from the water, nor made to 

 take powders, and so they get worse and worse." 



" I understand it 's affecting their feet so that they can't 

 walk, and a dreadful sort of net is growing between their 

 toes ; what a shocking visitation ! " 



" She brought it on herself," said Dame Scratchard. " Why 

 did n't she come to me before she set ? She was always 

 an upstart, self-conceited thing, but I 'm sure I pity her." 



Meanwhile the young ducks throve apace. Their necks 

 grew glossy, like changeable green and gold satin, and 



