wash es
wa ter
pret ty
(w eather)
f eather
(ought)
th ought
(am)
sw am
swan
use
[Illustration]
A raven was very unhappy because his feathers were black.
One day he saw a beautiful white swan swimming in a lake.
“How beautiful and white her feathers are,” he thought. “It must be
because she washes them so much. Why, she almost lives in the water. If I
should wash my feathers all day long, they might get white, too. I will
try it.”
So he flew from his nest in the woods, and lived for days near the lake.
Every day he washed his feathers from morning to night.
But his feathers did not get white.
They were just as black as ever.
But as the raven was not used to living in water, he caught a very bad
cold.
So, at last, he flew back to his nest in the wood.
“It is no use,” he croaked. “I can never be white. I do not want to be
white. Black feathers are pretty enough for me. Croak! Croak!”
All ravens have said “Croak! Croak!” ever since.