88 STORIES OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS 



claws to the top of the branch, spread her wings 

 and dropped to the ground, left her burden at 

 the foot of the tree, and returned to the hole. 



Nine times she flew down, bringing a duckling, 

 which she placed with its brothers and sisters. 

 On the tenth trip, as she left the hole, a second 

 nestling climbed on her back; but she reached 

 the ground successfully with her double load, 

 and once there, walked off to the pond, her brood 

 following her through the bushes and into the 

 water, as if they had done the same thing every 

 day for a month. In a moment some little noise 

 startled the family, and they dived and disap- 

 peared, probably going beyond the turn in the 

 pond. 



" Is not that won-d-e-r-ful! " said Tommy-Anne, 

 lost in admiration. 



" I'm going to look in the nest to see if there are 

 any eggs that didn't hatch," said Obi, " and then 

 we can have our dinner." 



" Tale-to-tell, tale-to-tell ! " called Aspetuck 

 from below; "look at Waddles, on the rock!" 



Tommy-Anne jumped up so quickly that she 

 almost fell through a hole in the floor, and 

 hurried out to where they had left the luncheon. 

 There sat Waddles by the basket, tired, muddy, 

 and very forlorn. 



