An Alarming Interlude 



The tortoise has been mentioned, and he plays 

 no part in this tragedy or comedy. 



All was peace and fruitfulness in the lake, and 

 every day a lizard that had taken possession of the 

 waterless waterfall came out to bask in the sun on a 

 cushion of moss, and to survey the kingdom of which 

 she seemed to be persuaded that she was queen. 



Here, at last, was peace on earth and perfec- 

 tion : a little outcrop of the Golden Age, and all 

 was gold and summer-green. Peacefully the golden 

 carp swam and darted in the lake : peacefully the 

 lizard basked, and all around the shrubs and trees 

 put forth leaf and blossom. 



Then I overstepped myself. 



On a visit I made the acquaintance of two 

 small ducks — Indian Runners : one black, one 

 brown, with a white ring at the base of his neck. 

 These ducks had never seen water in their lives. 

 They were, I was told, the very paragon of ducks, 

 the very ducks for a peat garden. They had all 

 the charm of ducks, with none of their vices. They 

 would not eat seeds, or flowers, or young vege- 

 tables : they would devour only grubs, and slugs, 

 and worms, and noxious things. . . . Nothing, 

 I was told, would induce them to murder or even 

 to assault an innocent fish, and they would treat 

 lizards with deference and respect. 



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