“But you can’t; I know you can’t. How can you?”
“Why, easily enough. I’ll swim out to them, and they can sit on my back, and I’ll carry them back.”
“But you’ll spill them off. I’m sure you will.”
“No I won’t either. I’ll bring one at a time. Now just you watch.”
The duck slipped off into the water, and soon reached the rock where the chicks were standing. At first she had a great deal of trouble in getting any one of them to climb up on her back. They were afraid of slipping off into the water; but presently Bright-Eyes ventured to scramble up and snuggle down against Mother Duck’s neck. As soon as she was settled there the old duck sailed out on the water and carried the little chick safely over to her mother.
When the other two chicks saw that Bright-Eyes was safe on shore they were eager to clamber upon the duck’s back and have her carry them over, too.
Oh, how thankful the hen was when she had her chicks back on dry land again. She felt so happy and thankful that she hardly knew what to say to the duck.
“If it hadn’t been for you they would all have been drowned,” she cried.
There lay old Tige in the sunshine fast asleep