I
OLD MOTHER DUCK and her six little ducklings lived in a hollow tree
down by the river, and here they were all as happy as the day was long.
They had the whole of the broad bright river to swim about on, and
there was no one to bother them or drive them about.
Mother Duck had not always lived in the hollow tree. Once she had lived
in a farmyard back in the country and away from the river. But she had
not been very happy there. For one thing, there was a very cross old
watch-dog in the farmyard. He was kept chained to his dog-house through
the day, and never set loose until the other animals had gone to bed,
but he used to snap at the ducks and chickens whenever they came near
his dog-house, and that frightened them.
Then there was no place to swim but in a muddy little duck-pond that
almost dried up in the heat of summer.
But the worst thing of all at the farmhouse was the way the farmer’s
wife used to steal the duck’s eggs. No matter how carefully Mrs. Duck
hid her eggs, Mrs. Farmer always found them and took them away. Once
she put a number of them in a hen’s nest, and allowed a hen to set
on them. After a while the hen hatched out eleven of the cunningest,
fuzziest, yellowest ducklings that ever were seen. The hen was just
as pleased and proud as though she had laid the eggs herself. But she
didn’t in the least know how to bring up a brood of ducklings. Mrs.
Duck could see that very plainly. She didn’t even want them to get
their feet wet and she almost had a fit when they went into the water
one day.
[Illustration: She pointed with her wing to a farmhouse in the distance]
After that Mrs. Duck made up her mind she would not stay at the farm
any longer. She started off into the wide world early one morning
without saying anything to any one, and waddled on and on and on until
after a while she came to the hollow tree beside the river.
Here she made a nest and hatched out a little brood for herself, and
brought them up the way young ducklings should be brought up, and was
very happy.