4 BIRDS IN TOWN AND VILLAGE 



there is the Egyptian goose; and here is the king- 

 duck coming towards us; and do you see that 

 large, beautiful bird standing by itself, that will 

 not come to be fed? That is the golden duck. 

 But that is not its real name ; I don't know them 

 all, and so I name some for myself. I call that 

 one the golden duck because in the sun its feathers 

 sometimes shine like gold." It was a rare 

 pleasure to listen to her, and seeing what sort of 

 a girl she was, and how much in love with her 

 subject, I in my turn told her a great deal about 

 the birds before us, also of other birds she had 

 never seen nor heard of, in other and distant 

 lands that have a nobler bird life than ours ; and 

 after she had listened eagerly for some minutes, 

 and had then been silent a little while, she all at 

 once pressed her two hands together, and ex- 

 claimed rapturously, "Oh, I do so love the 

 birds!" 



I replied that that was not strange, since it is 

 impossible for us not to love whatever is lovely, 

 and of all living things birds were made most 

 beautiful. 



Then I walked away, but could not forget the 

 words she had exclaimed, her whole appearance, 



