Hebowedtothem,andwasaspoliteashecouldbe,buthedidnotreplytotheirquestion."Youareexceedinglyugly,"saidthewildducks,"butthatwillnotmatterifyoudonotwanttomarryoneofourfamily."
Poorthing!hehadnothoughtsofmarriage;allhewantedwaspermissiontolieamongtherushes,anddrinksomeofthewateronthemoor.Afterhehadbeenonthemoortwodays,therecametwowildgeese,orrathergoslings,fortheyhadnotbeenoutoftheegglong,andwereverysaucy.
"Listen,friend,"saidoneofthemtotheduckling,"youaresougly,thatwelikeyouverywell.Willyougowithus,andbecomeabirdofpassage?Notfarfromhereisanothermoor,inwhichtherearesomeprettywildgeese,allunmarried.Itisachanceforyoutogetawife;youmaybelucky,uglyasyouare."
"Pop,pop,"soundedintheair,andthetwowildgeesefelldeadamongtherushes,andthewaterwastingedwithblood."Pop,pop,"echoedfarandwideinthedistance,andwholeflocksofwildgeeseroseupfromtherushes.
Thesoundcontinuedfromeverydirection,forthesportsmensurroundedthemoor,andsomewereevenseatedonbranchesoftrees,overlookingtherushes.Thebluesmokefromthegunsroselikecloudsoverthedarktrees,andasitfloatedawayacrossthewater,anumberofsportingdogsboundedinamongtherushes,whichbentbeneaththemwherevertheywent.Howtheyterrifiedthepoorduckling!
Heturnedawayhisheadtohideitunderhiswing,andatthesamemomentalargeterribledogpassedquitenearhim.Hisjawswereopen,histonguehungfromhismouth,andhiseyesglaredfearfully.Hethrusthisnoseclosetotheduckling,showinghissharpteeth,andthen,"splash,splash,"hewentintothewaterwithouttouchinghim,"Oh,"sighedtheduckling,"howthankfulIamforbeingsougly;evenadogwillnotbiteme."
Andsohelayquitestill,whiletheshotrattledthroughtherushes,andgunaftergunwasfiredoverhim.Itwaslateinthedaybeforeallbecamequiet,buteventhenthepooryoungthingdidnotdaretomove.Hewaitedquietlyforseveralhours,andthen,afterlookingcarefullyaroundhim,hastenedawayfromthemoorasfastashecould.Heranoverfieldandmeadowtillastormarose,andhecouldhardlystruggleagainstit.
Towardsevening,hereachedapoorlittlecottagethatseemedreadytofall,andonlyremainedstandingbecauseitcouldnotdecideonwhichsidetofallfirst.Thestormcontinuedsoviolent,thattheducklingcouldgonofarther;hesatdownbythecottage,andthenhenoticedthatthedoorwasnotquiteclosedinconsequenceofoneofthehingeshavinggivenway.
Therewasthereforeanarrowopeningnearthebottomlargeenoughforhimtoslipthrough,whichhedidveryquietly,andgotashelterforthenight.Awoman,atomcat,andahenlivedinthiscottage.Thetomcat,whomthemistresscalled,"Mylittleson,"wasagreatfavorite;hecouldraisehisback,andpurr,andcouldeventhrowoutsparksfromhisfurifitwerestrokedthewrongway.
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