Page 540 - Child's own book

lioth beast and man. Now cackle, and don't turn In. your toes;
a well-bred duckling spreads 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 said aloud : w Now look ! here
tomes another set, as if we were not numerous enough already ;
and, Mess me, what a fjueer-lo eking chap one of the ducklings
is, to be sure ; we cau't put up with him ;IJ and ^ne of the
throng darted forward, and bit him in tho neck.—4i Leave him
alone,” said the mother, “ he did no harm to any one/ 1—44 No,
but he is so big and ugly/’ said the biting duck, tfand
therefore ho wants thrashing.*’—tt Mamma has a sweet little
family," said the eld duck with the red rag about her leg;
“ they are ail pretty"except one, who is rather ill-favoured. 1
wish mamma could polish him a bit.”— ** 1 am afraid that will
be impossible, jour grace,11 said the mother of the ducklings,
“ ft's true, he s not so pretty, but he has a very good disposition,
and swims as wdl, or perhaps better thau all the others put
together. However, he may grow to be prettier, and may per­
haps become smaller. He remained too long in the cgg-shcli, and
therefore his figure is not properly formed,” and with tills she
smoothed down the ruffled feathers of his neck* i( At all events,
as he isam ak duck, it won't matter so much. I think he’it piovc
strong, and be able to fight his way through the world.’1—“ The
other ducklings are elegant little creatures,1' said the old duck,
“ Now miike 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 then the poor duckling, who had been the last to creep
out of his egg-shell, and Looked so Ugly* was fatten, pushed
about, and made game of> not only by the ducks but by the