t your head under the water and dive straight to the bottom.'

'I don't think I should enjoy it,' replied the hen doubtfully. 'And
I don't think the cat would like it either.' And the cat, when asked,
agreed there was nothing she would hate so much.

'I can't stay here any longer, I Must get to the water,' repeated the
duck. And the cat and the hen, who felt hurt and offended, answered
shortly:

'Very well then, go.'

The duckling would have liked to say good-bye, and thank them for their
kindness, as he was polite by nature; but they had both turned their
backs on him, so he went out of the rickety door feeling rather sad.
But, in spite of himself, he could not help a thrill of joy when he
was out in the air and water once more, and cared little for the rude
glances of the creatures he met. For a while he was quite happy and
content; but soon the winter came on, and snow began to fall, and
everything to grow very wet and uncomfortable. And the duckling soon
found that it is one thing to enjoy being in the water, and quite
another to like being damp on land.

The sun was setting one day, like a great scarlet globe, and the river,
to the duckling's vast bewilderment, was getting hard and slippery, when
he heard a sound of whirring wings, and high up in the air a flock of
swans were flying. They were as white as snow which had fallen during
the night, and their long necks with yellow bills were stretched
southwards, for they were going--they did not quite know whither--but to
a land where the sun shone all day. Oh, if he only could have gone with
them! But that was not possible, of course; and besides, what sort of
companion could an ugly thing like him be to those beautiful beings? So
he walked sadly down to a sheltered pool and dived to the very bottom,
and tried to think it was the greatest happiness he could dream of. But,
all the same, he knew it wasn't!

And every morning it grew colder and colder, and the duckling had hard
work to keep himself warm. Indeed, it would be truer to say that he
never was warm at all; and at last, after one bitter night, his legs
moved so slowly that the ice crept closer and closer, and when the
morning light broke he was caught fast, as in a trap; and soon his
senses went from him.

A few hours more and the poor duckling's life had been ended. But, by
good fortune, a man was crossing the river on his way to his work, and
saw in a moment what had happened. He had on thick wooden