A FAIRY STORY
On a beautiful clear lake swam a large family of Ducks. At the head of them all was the Mother-Duck, quacking proudly, and all the ducklings tried to imitate her voice, which they considered superior to that of the nightingale.
“Quack! Quack!” said she—“We have had enough of the water to-day. Let us swim to shore and see what kind of dinner we can pick up.”
Thereupon she turned briskly towards the land, and all her children dutifully followed her example, except the two youngest, who were very wilful and obstinate.
“What greedy creatures you are!” they cackled,—“Never can five minutes pass in peace without your wanting something to eat! We do not intend to come on shore; no! we shall remain here on the water and swim about by ourselves.”
“Naughty children!” screamed old Mother-Duck—“Come to me directly! The first lesson of life is obedience to your parents, so just come on shore at once!”
“Oh, bother you!” replied the two rude young ducklings—“You are an old Silly! Yes—we repeat it,—an old Silly! You know nothing. What! Are we going to obey you? No, indeed! We are much too clever for that,—much wiser than you are, and that’s the sober truth. So leave off scolding, if you please, for we mean to stay where we are.”
Now under the waters of the lake lived a little sprite, a good fairy, who hated naughty, disobedient children, as all good fairies do. And when he heard the ducklings, how they talked so rudely to their mother, he determined to punish them for their ill-manners.