“Oh, pray, my dear madam,” exclaimed Miss Peck, “pray do not say such shocking things, or you will quite overcome me, for my feelings are very soon upset, owing to my unfortunate spasms. I am sure that my friend, Cockielockie, will be able to do everything in the world for you, if you will only explain the case to him.”
“Thank you, Hennypenny,” answered the duck, while her tears fell fast: “I will tell you all about it, though I fear that Cockielockie will never be able to do me any good. My sorrow is owing to my having had my family taken away from me, and my own little ones brought up by a stranger, and one of the last persons whom I should ever have chosen to put them under. One evening I was returning home, having been out for a little walk round the shrubbery with my friend Mrs. Gobble, when I found that my nest was taken away, and so the tiresome life that I had been leading, sitting there, day after day, for hours together, was all trouble for nothing. It was the third time that the very same thing had happened to me, and whether it was one of Master Samuel’s mischievous tricks, or, whether Jem, the old carter, who was always meddling with what did not concern him, was at the bottom of it, I could not guess, for I was then far from suspecting the right person; and so was Mrs. Gobble, for I went to her directly, and though she was sorry to see me vexed, she said it was a good thing that I should not have to stay at home so much, for she was sure I must have been nearly moped to death, and she would not have led such a dull life, for all the little yellow ducklings that ever were seen. So I got over my disappointment as well as I could, and I remember that a party of us went out walking that evening, and the weather was beautiful, pouring rain every minute, and puddles running here and there, and everything so nice and wet, and I caught eleven large slugs, and felt much more contented. Indeed I had quite forgotten all about it, when, a long time afterwards, as I was coming in from a swimming match with some friends, one morning, what should I see but six or seven handsome little yellow ducklings, running in and out of a new house, which stood not far from the water. I looked very hard at them, for I suspected how it was, and as I passed close to the house, which was open in front, I looked in, and saw Mrs. Topknot sitting there as grand as could be, and spreading herself out as if she did not know how to be proud enough. She was always giving herself airs, I must tell you, and never was so civil to me as she ought to have been, but being of a meek disposition myself, I just stopped for a minute, and said, ‘Good morning, Mrs. Topknot. Whose is this lovely young family that you seem to have about you?’ ‘Whose?’ she answered, as shortly as possible. ‘Why your own to be sure, Mrs. Daddles, and I am going to bring them up, for everybody knows that you are such a gossiping, gadabout creature, that you are not fit to have the management of a family. You may think yourself very lucky that your young ones should be placed under the charge of such a wise and well-informed person as I am, instead of being left to shift for themselves, as they would be if they depended upon your care.’
“I was so full of grief and anger at hearing this speech, that I could hardly speak, and, as if to enrage me still more, Mrs. Topknot called out to the ducklings to come to her directly, and I saw that the little dears did not dare to disobey her; so in they ran, and she shuffled them all under her wings, and would not even let me look at them, but one got his head half-out, and peeped at me, as much as to say, that if he could do as he liked, he would not be squeezed up in that way long.
“‘And do you really mean to refuse to let me take away my own little ducklings, Mrs. Topknot?’ said I, ‘because, in that case I shall go immediately to Jem, the carter, and get him to wring your neck!’
“Mrs. Topknot only gave a scornful laugh and answered, ‘As if anybody would mind what you said, indeed! You should have stayed at home, and attended to your own affairs instead of always sauntering about with that lazy Mrs. Gobble. Be thankful that your family are sure of a good education. I shall not allow them to get into any of the dirty, dabbling ways, that you, and all your relations, are so fond of, I can tell you!’
“‘Very well, Mrs. Topknot,’ I answered: ‘I see you think yourself wiser than everybody else, as usual; but depend upon it, though you may bring up very good chickens, you will never make good ducklings as long as you live. It is quite a different thing, and so I shall tell Jem, the carter, since he has not the sense to know it already. Pray can you swim, Mrs. Topknot? Can you earn an independent living in a gutter? Can you eat slugs? You know that you, and all your family, are poor, helpless, delicate creatures, afraid of getting your feet wet, and obliged to live on the charity of Jem, the carter. How should you be able to bring up young ducklings to do their duty in their own station? You are quite mistaken if you expect ever to make chickens of them. I know by the look of their feet, that they will take to the water in spite of you, and then pray what will you do? Just let them come with me, and I will soon show you what little ducklings are made for. You have no right to keep my children squeezed up in that corner, where they can scarcely breathe. I know you will kill them before you have done.’
“So I went on, begging and praying Mrs. Topknot to restore to me my own family, and even shedding tears to move her pity, but all in vain. She would not mind a word I said, and, in the greatest affliction, I went off to Mrs. Gobble, to ask her opinion about what was to be done. But Mrs. Gobble was just going out walking with a friend, and would hardly find time to listen to my story. She only said, that if I thought Jem, the carter, would understand anything about it, I should only be disappointed, for he was always doing the most foolish things, and making mischief in the yard in almost every family. I felt, therefore, that it was not of the least use to complain to him, for he would have been quite as likely to wring my neck, as Mrs. Topknot’s, and being weary of such an unkind world, and Mrs. Gobble not asking me to go with her and her friend I determined to hang myself in the well-rope, as I said; only as I have a small piece of cabbage-leaf behind the pig-sty, and two young snails in a corner of the garden-wall, I think it best to make my will; for, my dear Mr. Cockielockie, and Mrs. Hennypenny, you must now see that my distress is too great to admit of any relief.”
“My name,” said Miss Peck, rather angrily, as soon as Duckiedaddles ceased speaking, “is not Hennypenny, Mrs. Daddles; and I must say, though extremely sorry for your misfortunes, that I think grief must have confused your mind a little, or you would not have made such a mistake about a young person like myself. My name is Miss Peck, and I and my friend Mr. Cockielockie are on our way to Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen, to tell her that the stars are all falling out of the sky.”
“And I think, Mrs. Daddles,” interrupted Cockielockie, “that you cannot do better than come along with us, and then you will have an opportunity of laying your melancholy case before Her Majesty, who very likely will order Mrs. Topknot and Jem the carter’s heads to be sent to her immediately; for I know she is particular about her own family, and would be very angry if any one were to take them away from her, and instead of letting them grow into good little kings and queens, with crowns on their heads, as they ought to do, were to try to make them wear topknots and live upon barley meal.”
Mrs. Daddles was very willing to agree to Cockielockie’s proposal, for, as she said, she could see about making her will when she came back. So they went, and they went, and they went, until, turning a corner of the lane, what should they see walking towards them, in a grave and solemn manner, but a goose.