ONE day Mother Duck got up bright and early, and put on her bonnet and her shawl, and took a market basket on her wing.
“Now, children, I’m going to market,” she said. “Don’t go out of sight of home while I’m away, and don’t go down to the river, and don’t talk with any stranger animals.”
And all the little ducklings answered, “No, mother.”
Then the old duck put on her bonnet and her shawl, and took her basket on her arm and started off.
For awhile after she had gone the little ducks played about close to the hollow tree, and then they wandered a little further off, and then they began to see how far they could go without losing sight of home.
“I wish mother would hurry back,” said Squdge at last, “I’m getting hungry. Wouldn’t a tadpole or some watercress taste good now!”
“Indeed it would,” said Queek. “Or even a beetle if we could find one.”
Just as Queek said that a bright long-tailed fly flew close by over Buff’s head. “Catch it, catch it, Buff!” cried Queek.
Buff made a jump and missed it, though his beak just grazed its tail.