i68 ANGLING 



But, oh lawks ! Mr. Hopper, I have had some awful frights. 

 The first morning after I was put in the lake one of the park 

 gardeners got into the pram (punt) with a long pole and went 

 about all over the lake, and I quite thought he was on the look 

 out for me. That gave me an awful fit of the cold shivers. 

 However, I found out after a few mornings that it was his 

 practice to go every morning in the pram and feed the rabbits 

 and waterfowl on the islands. Then these horrid swans ! They 

 were continually diving their long heads and necks under 

 water, and if I happened to be anywhere about having a quiet 

 doze they always struck at me most viciously with their bills, 

 so I keep as clear of the swans as I can. Well, the Egyptian 

 geese were nearly as bad. If I put my dorsal fin or tail out of 

 the water they were down upon either one or the other at once. 

 They are very savage birds, and I saw them kill three little 

 wild ducks one evening this summer. And those little diving 

 ducks ! they used to pop down four and five at a time and keep 

 under the water 13 or 14 seconds. They frightened me very 

 much at first, but we are good friends now. The Muscovy 

 ducks chased me a bit at first, and gave me a lot of trouble and 

 anxiety, and more exercise than I cared for, but when their 

 " breeding time " came they let me alone. The Spanish geese 

 were all right except for their everlasting cackle they are as 

 bad as washer-women they disturbed my afternoon naps a 

 .good deal. 



I suffered, however, more from that skating last winter than 

 anything. For six weeks I had no rest at all, and some days 

 there were so many people on the ice I thought they must come 

 through it and crush me. I have heard the Park Keeper say 

 " It's a long lane that has no turning," and often wondered 

 what he meant, but I know now, and that is the reason why I 

 have headed this letter "at last." On Tuesday last, about 

 half-past nine in the morning, I saw on the bank of the Park 

 lake a lady and gentleman, and you Mr. Hopper, for I 

 recognised you as the gentleman who used to bring me the 

 cherries. The gentleman, whose name I did not know, had a 

 large bundle with him, which he carried with great care, and I 



