48 HOW HE BEGUILES DUCKS. 



flapping their wings, thereby evidencing the presence of some 

 intruder. When, however, with the intention of getting a 

 shot, he had cautiously advanced near to the spot where the 

 turmoil was going on, not a bird was to be seen, they 

 being all concealed in the long grass. But in lieu of ducks 

 he discovered a fox, the cause of the disturbance, wading 

 through the rushes, and now and then making a spring at 

 such ducklings as came near to him. He, however, often 

 remained motionless, as if listening, and when all was quiet, 

 he would utter a hoarse cry, which in great degree resembled 

 that of the old duck, when she calls together the brood. 

 And in this way it was not long before Michel succeeded 

 in enticing towards him, and capturing a duckling. With 

 the prize in his mouth, he was approaching the strand, 

 when the young sportsman, not having patience to watch 

 the fox's farther proceedings, levelled his gun and shot 

 him dead on the spot. And thus the cunning rogue, with 

 the loss of his life, paid the penalty of his ruse. The fox 

 proved to be a very old male, which, either in combat with 

 his fellows or during some one of his marauding expe- 

 ditions, had lost his right eye." 



" When a youth," M. Ekstrom informs us, " I myself 

 was once an eye-witness to the cunning of the fox. 



" In an inlet of a lake, covered for the most part with 

 high reeds, there were several small openings called Flukor 

 free from grass. In these, which were frequented by great 

 quantities of small fish, the peasants from the neighbouring 

 village were accustomed to lay out nets ; and as from the 

 confined space it was not practicable to use even an Ek- 

 stock, or punt, one end of the net was always fastened to the 

 shore. During the summer time I myself was almost every 



