'How large the world is, to be sure!' said the young ones. And truly enough, they had rather more room than when they were still in the egg-shell.

'Do you fancy this is the whole world?' cried the mother. Why, it reaches far away beyond the other side of the garden, down to the parson's field; though I never went to such a distance as that! But are you all there?' continued she, rising. No, faith! you are not; for there still lies the largest egg. I wonder how long this business is to last-I really begin to grow quite tired of it !' And she sat down once more.

'Well, how are you getting on?' inquired an old duck, who came to pay her a visit.

'This egg takes a deal of hatching,' answered the sitting duck, 'it won't break; but just look at the others, are they not the prettiest ducklings ever seen? They are the image of their father, who, by-the-by, does not trouble himself to come and see me.'

'Let me look at the egg that won't break,' quoth the old duck. Take my word for it, it must be a guinea fowl's egg. I was once deceived in the same way, and I bestowed a deal of care and anxiety on the youngsters, for they are afraid of water. I could not make them take to it. I stormed and raved, but it was of no use. Let's see the egg. Sure enough, it is a guinea fowl's egg. Leave it alone, and set about teaching your own children to swim.'

'I'll just sit upon it a bit longer,' said the duck; 'for since I have sat so long, a few days more won't make much odds.'

'Please yourself,' said the old duck, as she waddled away.

At length the large egg cracked. "Peep! peep!'

How big

The duck looked at

squeaked the youngster, as he crept out. and ugly he was to be sure! him, saying: 'Really this is a most enormous duckling! None of the others are like him. I wonder whether he is a guinea-chick after all? Well, we shall soon see when we get down to the water; for in he shall go, though I push him in myself.'

6

On the following morning the weather was most delightful, and the sun was shining brightly on the green burdock leaves. The mother-duck took her young brood down to the canal. Splash into the water she went. Quack! quack!' cried she, and forthwith one duckling after another jumped in. The water closed over their heads for a moment; but they soon rose to the surface again, and swam about so nicely, just as if their legs paddled them about of their own accord; and they had all taken to the water; even the ugly, gray-coated youngster swam about with the rest.

Nay, he is no guinea-chick,' said she; 'only look how capitally he uses his legs, and how steady he keeps himself-he's every inch my own child! And really he's very pretty when one comes to look at him attentively. Quack! quack!' added she; 'now come along, and I'll take you into high society, and introduce you to the duck-yard; but mind you keep close to me, that nobody may tread upon you; and, above all, beware of the cat.’

They now reached the farm-yard, where there was a great hubbub. Two families were fighting for an eel's head, which, in the end, was carried off by the cat.

'See, children, that's the way with the world!' remarked the mother of the ducklings, smacking her beak, for she would have been very glad to have had the eel's head for herself. 'Now, move on!' said she, 'and

mind you cackle properly, and bow your head before that old duck yonder. Now, cackle-and don't turn in your toes; a well-bred duckling spreads his feet wide apart, like papa and mamma, in this sort of way! Now, bend your neck, and say: "Quack!"''

The ducklings did as they were bid; but the other ducks, after looking at them, only cried: 'Now, look! here comes another set, as if we were not numerous enough already. And bless me! what a queer-looking chap one of the ducklings is to be sure we can't put up with him!' And one of the throng darted forward, and bit him in the neck.

'Leave him alone,' said the mother; he has done no harm to any one.'

'No; but he is too big and uncouth,' said the biting duck; and therefore he requires a thrashing.'

Mamma has a sweet little family,' said the old duck, with the rag about her leg: they are all pretty except one, who is rather ill-favoured. I wish mamma could

polish him a bit.’

'I'm afraid that will be impossible, your Grace,' said the mother of the ducklings. 'It's true he is not pretty, but he has a very good disposition, and swims as well, or perhaps better, than all the others put together. However, he may grow prettier, and perhaps become smaller; he remained too long in the egg-shell, and therefore his figure is not properly formed.' And with this she smoothed down the ruffled feathers of his neck, adding: ‘At all events, as he is a male duck, it won't matter so much. I think he'll prove strong, and be able to fight his way through the world.'

'The other ducklings are elegant little creatures,' said the old duck. Now, make yourself at home; and

if you

should happen to find an eel's head, you can bring it to me.'

And so the family made themselves comfortable.

But the poor duckling who had been the last to creep out of his egg-shell, and looked so ugly, was bitten, pushed about, and made game of, not only by the ducks, but by the hens.

Nor did matters mend the next day, or the following ones, but rather grew worse and worse. The poor duckling was hunted down by everybody. Even his sisters were so unkind to him, that they were continually saying: 'I wish the cat would run away with you, you ugly creature!' While his mother added: 'I wish you had never been born!' And the ducks pecked at him, the hens struck him, and the girl who fed the poultry used to kick him.

So he ran away, and flew over the palings. The little birds in the bushes were startled, and took wing. 'That is because I am so ugly,' thought the duckling, as he closed his eyes, though he ran on further, till he came to a large marsh inhabited by wild ducks. Here he spent the whole night-and tired and sorrowful enough he was.

On the following morning, when the wild ducks saw their new comrade, they said: 'What sort of a creature are you?' Upon which the duckling greeted them all round as civilly as he knew how.

'You are remarkably ugly,' observed the wild ducks; 'but we don't care about that, so long as you do not want to marry into our family.' Poor forlorn creature! He had truly no such thoughts in his head. All he wanted was to obtain leave to lie among the rushes, and drink a little of the marsh water.

He remained there for two whole days, at the end of which time there came two wild geese, or, more properly speaking, goslings, who were only just out of the egg-shell, and consequently very pert..

'I say, friend,' quoth they, 'you are so ugly, that we should have no objection to take you with us for a travelling-companion. In the neighbouring marsh there dwell some sweetly pretty female geese, all of them unmarried, and who cackle most charmingly. Perhaps you may have a chance to pick up a wife amongst them, ugly as you are.'

Bang! sounded through the air, and the two wild goslings fell dead amongst the rushes, while the water turned as red as blood. Bang! again echoed around, and whole flocks of wild geese flew up from the rushes. Again and again the same alarming noise was heard. It was a shooting-party, and the sportsmen surrounded the whole marsh, while others had climbed into the branches of the trees that overshadowed the rushes. A blue mist rose in clouds and mingled with the green leaves, and sailed far away across the water; a pack of dogs next flounced into the marsh. Splash, splash they went, while the reeds and rushes bent beneath them on all sides. What a fright they occasioned the poor duckling! He turned away his head to hide it under his wing, when, lo! a tremendous-looking dog, with his tongue lolling out, and his eyes glaring fearfully, stood right before him, opening his jaws and shewing his sharp teeth, as though he would gobble up the poor little duckling at a mouthful!--but splash! splash! on he went without touching him.

"Thank goodness!' sighed the duckling, 'I am so ugly that even a dog won't bite me.'