THE STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL SHELDRAKE 191 



that horrid dark hole. If I must lay an egg, 

 I'U just drop it out here on the grass and let it 

 take its chance." 



It is rather hard on the drake ; but he never 

 loses his temper, never boxes her ears with his 

 carmine red beak, or thrashes her with his 

 shining white wings, nor does he tell her that 

 she is just like a woman — an illogical fool. He 

 is most gentle and considerate, full of distress 

 and sympathy for her, and tells her again what 

 he has said before, but in a different wsLj ; he 

 agrees with her that it is dark and close down 

 there away from the sweet sunlight, but that it 

 is an old, old custom of the sheldrakes to breed 

 in holes, and has its advantages ; and that if she 

 will only overcome her natural repugnance 

 and fear of the dark, in that long narrow 

 tunnel, when she is once settled down on the 

 nest and feels the cold eggs growing warm again 

 under her warm body she wiU find that it is not 

 so bad after aU. 



And in the end he prevails ; and bowing her 

 pretty head she creeps quietly down and dis- 

 appears, while he remains on guard at the door 

 — ^for a little while. 



