askedthemother;"waittillyouhaveseenthegarden;itstretchesfarbeyondthattotheparson'sfield,butihaveneverventuredtosuchadistance.areyouallout?"shecontinued,rising;"no,ideclare,thelargesteggliestherestill.iwonderhowlongthisistolast,iamquitetiredofit;"andsheseatedherselfagainonthenest.

"well,howareyougettingon?"askedanoldduck,whopaidheravisit.

"oneeggisnothatchedyet,"saidtheduck,"itwillnotbreak.butjustlookatalltheothers,aretheynottheprettiestlittleducklingsyoueversaw?theyaretheimageoftheirfather,whoissounkind,henevercomestosee."

"letmeseetheeggthatwillnotbreak,"saidtheduck;"ihavenodoubtitisaturkey'segg.iwaspersuadedtohatchsomeonce,andafterallmycareandtroublewiththeyoungones,theywereafraidofthewater.iquackedandclucked,butalltonopurpose.icouldnotgetthemtoventurein.letmelookattheegg.yes,thatisaturkey'segg;takemyadvice,leaveitwhereitisandteachtheotherchildrentoswim."

"ithinkiwillsitonitalittlewhilelonger,"saidtheduck;"asihavesatsolongalready,afewdayswillbenothing."

"pleaseyourself,"saidtheoldduck,andshewentaway.

atlastthelargeeggbroke,andayoungonecreptforthcrying,"peep,peep."itwasverylargeandugly.theduckstaredatitandexclaimed,"itisverylargeandnotatallliketheothers.iwonderifitreallyisaturkey.weshallsoonfinditout,howeverwhenwegotothewater.itmustgoin,ifihavetopushitmyself."

onthenextdaytheweatherwasdelightful,andthesunshonebrightlyonthegreenburdockleaves,sothemotherducktookheryoungbrooddowntothewater,andjumpedinwithasplash."quack,quack,"criedshe,andoneafteranotherthelittleducklingsjumpedin.thewaterclosedovertheirheads,buttheycameupagaininaninstant,andswamaboutquiteprettilywiththeirlegspaddlingunderthemaseasilyaspossible,andtheuglyducklingwasalsointhewaterswimmingwiththem.

"oh,"saidthemother,"thatisnotaturkey;howwellheuseshislegs,andhowuprightheholdshimself!heismyownchild,andheisnotsoveryuglyafterallifyoulookathimproperly.quack,quack!comewithmenow,iwilltakeyouintograndsociety,andintroduceyoutothefarmyard,butyoumustkeepclosetomeoryoumaybetroddenupon;and,aboveall,bewareofthecat."

whentheyreachedthefarmyard,therewasagreatdisturbance,twofamilieswerefightingforaneel'shead,which,afterall,wascarriedoffbythecat."see,children,thatisthewayoftheworld,"saidthemotherduck,whettingherbeak,forshewouldhavelikedtheeel'sheadherself."come,now,useyourlegs,andletmeseehowwellyoucanbehave.youmustbowyourheadsprettilytothatoldduckyonder;sheisthehighestbornofthemall,andhasspanishblood,therefore,sheiswelloff.don'tyouseeshehasaredflagtiedtoherleg,whichissomethingverygrand,andagreathonorforaduck;itshowsthateveryoneisanxiousnottoloseher,asshecanberecognizedbothbymanandbeast.come,now,don'tturnyourtoes,awell-bredducklingspreadshisfeetwideapart,justlikehisfatherandmother,inthisway;nowbendyourneck,andsay'quack.'"

theducklingsdidastheywerebid,buttheotherduckstared,andsaid,"look,herecomesanotherbrood,asiftherewerenotenoughofusalready!andwhataqueerlookingobjectoneofthemis;wedon'twanthimhere,"andthenoneflewoutandbithimintheneck.

"lethimalone,"saidthemother;"heisnotdoinganyharm."

"yes,butheissobigandugly,"saidthespitefulduck"andthereforehemustbeturnedout."

"theothersareveryprettychildren,"saidtheoldduck,withtheragonherleg,"allbutthatone;iwishhismothercouldimprovehimalittle."

"thatisimpossible,yourgrace,"repliedthemother;"heisnotpretty;buthehasaverygooddisposition,andswimsaswellorevenbetterthantheothers.ithinkhewillgrowuppretty,andperhapsbesmaller;hehasremainedtoolongintheegg,andthereforehisfigureisnotproperlyformed;"andthenshestrokedhisneckandsmoothedthefeathers,saying,"itisadrake,andthereforenotofsomuchconsequence.ithinkhewillgrowupstrong,andabletotakecareofhimself."

"theotherducklingsaregracefulenough,"saidtheoldduck."nowmakeyourselfathome,andifyoucanfindaneel'shead,youcanbringittome."

andsotheymadethemselvescomfortable;butthepoorduckling,whohadcreptoutofhisshelllastofall,andlookedsougly,wasbittenandpushedandmadefunof,notonlybytheducks,butbyallthepoultry."heistoobig,"theyallsaid,andtheturkeycock,whohadbeenbornintotheworldwithspurs,andfanciedhimselfreallyanemperor,puffedhimselfoutlikeavesselinfullsail,andflewattheduckling,andbecamequiteredintheheadwithpassion,sothatthepoorlittlethingdidnotknowwheretogo,andwasquitemiserablebecausehewassouglyandlaughedatbythewholefarmyard.soitwentonfromdaytodaytillitgotworseandpoorducklingwasdrivenaboutbyeveryone;evenhisbrothersandsisterswereunkindtohim,andwouldsay,"ah,youuglycreature,iwishthecatwouldgetyou,"andhismothersaidshewishedhehadneverbeenborn.theduckspeckedhim,thechickensbeathim,andthegirlwhofedthepoultrykickedhimwithherfeet.soatlastheranaway,frighteningthelittlebirdsinthehedgeasheflewoverthepalings.

"theyareafraidofmebecauseiamugly,"hesaid.soheclosedhiseyes,andflewstillfarther,untilhecameoutonalargemoor,inhabitedbywildducks.hereheremainedthewholenight,feelingverytiredandsorrowful.

inthemorning,whenthewildducksroseintheair,theystaredattheirnewcomrade."whatsortofaduckareyou?"