d, and that quite
the better half.

The duckling thought there might be two opinions on the subject, but
the cat would not hear of it.

"Can you lay eggs?" she asked.

"No!"

"Will you have the goodness to hold your tongue, then!"

And the cat said, "Can you arch your back, purr, or give off sparks?"

"No."

"Then you had better keep your opinions to yourself when people of
sense are speaking!"

The duckling sat in the corner nursing his ill-humor; then he began to
think of the fresh air and the sunshine, an uncontrollable longing
seized him to float on the water, and at last he could not help
telling the hen about it.

"What on earth possesses you?" she asked. "You have nothing to do;
that is why you get these freaks into your head. Lay some eggs or take
to purring, and you will get over it."

"But it is so delicious to float, on the water," said the duckling;
"so delicious to feel it rushing over your head when you dive to the
bottom."

"That would be a fine amusement," said the hen. "I think you have gone
mad. Ask the cat about it, he is the wisest creature I know; ask him
if he is fond of floating on the water or diving under it. I say
nothing about myself. Ask our mistress yourself, the old woman; there
is no one in the world cleverer than she is. Do you suppose she has
any desire to float on the water or to duck underneath it?"

"You do not understand me," said the duckling.

"Well, if we don't understand you, who should? I suppose you don't
consider yourself cleverer than the cat or the old woman, not to
mention me. Don't make a fool of yourself, child, and thank your stars
for all the good we have done you! Have you not lived in this warm
room, and in such society that you might have learned something? But
you are an idiot, and there is no pleasure in associating with you.
You may believe me I mean you well, I tell you home truths, and there
is no surer way than that of knowing who are one's friends. You just
see about laying some eggs, or learn to purr, or to emit sparks."

"I think I will go out into the wide world," said the duckling.

"Oh, do so by all means!" said the hen.

So away went the duckling; he floated on the water and ducked
underneath it, but he was looked askance at by every living creature
for his ugliness. Now the autumn came on, the leaves in the woods
turned yellow and brown; the wind took hold of them, and they danced
about. The sky looked very cold, and the clouds hun