“‘He can swim!’ exclaimed Lucy; ‘see, Royal! he can swim!’”—Page 133
“He can swim!” exclaimed Lucy; “see, Royal! he can swim!”
The duck then began to dabble with his bill in the sand, upon the margin of the water. Then he took up a little water, and held his bill up to let the water run down his throat. Then he looked up with one eye towards Royal and Lucy, and then he swam across the pond again, and went to dabbling in the sand upon the other side.
“O ducky,” said Royal, “what a cunning little rogue you are!”
“Let’s give him something to eat,” said Lucy.
“Yes,” replied Joanna, “I brought him a little piece of bread;” and so saying, she proceeded to crumb her bread upon the ground, near the duckling. He came out upon the bank, and began to pick up some of the small crumbs immediately; and then he turned around, and jumped into the water again, and swam away, striking the water from beneath him with his little web feet. Joanna laughed heartily at his comical movements; and, after looking at him for a few minutes, she left him with the children, and went back to the house.
The children let the duck swim about in his pond for more than an hour, while they remained near, sometimes watching his motions, and sometimes playing at a little distance from his house and yard. They had some conversation about his name. Several names were talked of, but finally they concluded to call him Diver. They gave him as much bread as they thought he ought to have, and then Royal put the remainder of the pieces, which Joanna had brought out, in Diver’s garret, which he said would be a fine place to keep his provisions in.
“Yes,” said Lucy, “I think it will be an excellent place, and I am much obliged to you, Royal, for making me such a good duck pond, and house, and yard. I am very glad to have it. It is a great deal better than I expected that it would be. And I believe, on the whole, that I shall let you own Diver with me. We will own him, and his house, and his yard, and his pond, all together.”
“Yes,” said Royal, “so we will.”