"Ohwhataprize!"sheexclaimed,"Ihopeitisnotadrake,forthenIshallhavesomeduck'seggs.Imustwaitandsee."Sotheducklingwasallowedtoremainontrialforthreeweeks,buttherewerenoeggs.
Nowthetomcatwasthemasterofthehouse,andthehenwasmistress,andtheyalwayssaid,"Weandtheworld,"fortheybelievedthemselvestobehalftheworld,andthebetterhalftoo.Theducklingthoughtthatothersmightholdadifferentopiniononthesubject,butthehenwouldnotlistentosuchdoubts.
"Canyoulayeggs?"sheasked."No.""Thenhavethegoodnesstoholdyourtongue.""Canyouraiseyourback,orpurr,orthrowoutsparks?"saidthetomcat."No.""Thenyouhavenorighttoexpressanopinionwhensensiblepeoplearespeaking."
Sotheducklingsatinacorner,feelingverylowspirited,tillthesunshineandthefreshaircameintotheroomthroughtheopendoor,andthenhebegantofeelsuchagreatlongingforaswimonthewater,thathecouldnothelptellingthehen.
"Whatanabsurdidea,"saidthehen."Youhavenothingelsetodo,thereforeyouhavefoolishfancies.Ifyoucouldpurrorlayeggs,theywouldpassaway."
"Butitissodelightfultoswimaboutonthewater,"saidtheduckling,"andsorefreshingtofeelitcloseoveryourhead,whileyoudivedowntothebottom."
"Delightful,indeed!"saidthehen,"whyyoumustbecrazy!Askthecat,heisthecleverestanimalIknow,askhimhowhewouldliketoswimaboutonthewater,ortodiveunderit,forIwillnotspeakofmyownopinion;askourmistress,theoldwoman-thereisnooneintheworldmorecleverthansheis.Doyouthinkshewouldliketoswim,ortoletthewatercloseoverherhead?"
"Wedon'tunderstandyou?Whocanunderstandyou,Iwonder?Doyouconsideryourselfmorecleverthanthecat,ortheoldwoman?Iwillsaynothingofmyself.Don'timaginesuchnonsense,child,andthankyourgoodfortunethatyouhavebeenreceivedhere.
Areyounotinawarmroom,andinsocietyfromwhichyoumaylearnsomething.Butyouareachatterer,andyourcompanyisnotveryagreeable.Believeme,Ispeakonlyforyourowngood.Imaytellyouunpleasanttruths,butthatisaproofofmyfriendship.Iadviseyou,therefore,tolayeggs,andlearntopurrasquicklyaspossible."
"Yes,do,"saidthehen.Sotheducklingleftthecottage,andsoonfoundwateronwhichitcouldswimanddive,butwasavoidedbyallotheranimals,becauseofitsuglyappearance.
Autumncame,andtheleavesintheforestturnedtoorangeandgold.then,aswinterapproached,thewindcaughtthemastheyfellandwhirledtheminthecoldair.Theclouds,heavywithhailandsnow-flakes,hunglowinthesky,andtheravenstoodonthefernscrying,"Croak,croak."Itmadeoneshiverwithcoldtolookathim.
Allthiswasverysadforthepoorlittleduckling.Oneevening,justasthesunsetamidradiantclouds,therecamealargeflockofbeautifulbirdsoutofthebushes.Theducklinghadneverseenanylikethembefore.Theywereswans,andtheycurvedtheirgracefulnecks,whiletheirsoftplumageshownwithdazzlingwhiteness.
Theyutteredasingularcry,astheyspreadtheirgloriouswingsandflewawayfromthosecoldregionstowarmercountriesacrossthesea.Astheymountedhigherandhigherintheair,theuglylittleducklingfeltquiteastrangesensationashewatchedthem.
Hewhirledhimselfinthewaterlikeawheel,stretchedouthisnecktowardsthem,andutteredacrysostrangethatitfrightenedhimself.Couldheeverforgetthosebeautiful,happybirds;andwhenatlasttheywereoutofhissight,hedivedunderthewater,androseagainalmostbesidehimselfwithexcitement.Heknewnotthenamesofthesebirds,norwheretheyhadflown,buthefelttowardsthemashehadneverfeltforanyotherbirdintheworld.
Hewasnotenviousofthesebeautifulcreatures,butwishedtobeaslovelyasthey.Pooruglycreature,howgladlyhewouldhavelivedevenwiththeduckshadtheyonlygivenhimencouragement.Thewintergrewcolderandcolder;hewasobligedtoswimaboutonthewatertokeepitfromfreezing,buteverynightthespaceonwhichheswambecamesmallerandsmaller.
Atlengthitfrozesohardthattheiceinthewatercrackledashemoved,andtheducklinghadtopaddlewithhislegsaswellashecould,tokeepthespacefromclosingup.Hebecameexhaustedatlast,andlaystillandhelpless,frozenfastintheice.
Earlyinthemorning,apeasant,whowaspassingby,sawwhathadhappened.Hebroketheiceinpieceswithhiswoodenshoe,andcarriedtheducklinghometohiswife.Thewarmthrevivedthepoorlittlecreature;butwhenthechildrenwantedtoplaywithhim,theducklingthoughttheywoulddohimsomeharm;sohestartedupinterror,flutteredintothemilk-pan,andsplashedthemilkabouttheroom.
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