9. The old mother duck every morning leads her brood to the water. As she waddles along on the land, her gait is very awkward, but the moment she and her little ones get to the water they sail out in the most graceful way.
LESSON VI.
STORIES ABOUT DUCKS.
1. Dame Bridson had several families of ducklings, and one day as I watched her feeding them she told me this story:
2. "I once put a number of duck's eggs under a hen, and they all hatched out nicely. When the ducks were a few days old, the hen left them for a few minutes to pick up some food.
3. "When she came back I heard a furious cackling, and ran to see what was the matter. And what do you think I saw?
4. "There lay my old tabby cat, who had just lost her kittens, and there were the little ducklings all cuddled up around her.