Then he went to a peasant’s hut and crept in the door, for a great storm was raging, and he was wet and tired. In the hut lived an old woman, a hen and a cat. The hen looked at the duck and said: “Can you lay eggs?” “No,” said the duck, “I have never tried.” The cat said: “Can you arch your back and purr?” “Oh, no, indeed, I know I cannot!” said the poor duck.
“Then get out of here, for you are of no use,” and the poor duck had to run for his life. The cat spit at him as he ran, and the hen scratched dirt in his face, and even the old woman, who was blind, threw her shoe at him thinking he was a weasel.
And now the winter was coming on. The duck had to find some place to live and something to eat. He felt stronger every day and learned to dive into the marshes for eels and frogs; but still he was far from strong. It began to grow cold and the wind blew.
The duck had to swim around to keep the water from freezing, but the hole grew smaller and smaller until at last it froze quite fast, and the poor duck was caught on the ice. Early in the morning a peasant came along and took him home and thawed him out by the fire. But he flew over the fence and went again into the marshes. Here he passed the winter.
Now it was spring. The duck rose in the air and began to fly. “How wonderful it is to fly!” he cried joyously and flew on and on until he saw a lake in the park. Here he flew down and looked at himself in the water. He was no longer a duck, for he saw a beautiful white bird with a long graceful neck. The children on the bank called out:
“Oh, come and see! Another swan! and he is the loveliest of them all!” Then he looked again in the water and hid his beautiful head under his wing to hide his joy. “I never dreamed I could look like this when I was the ugly duckling,” he said to himself.
KILLING THE BIRDS
The needless destruction of birds is not only a wanton and cruel sport, but costs the farmers of the country a vast sum of money by allowing injurious insects to flourish.