Whatafunnysightitistoseeabroodofducklingswithahen! ListentothestoryofJemimaPuddle-duck,whowasannoyedbecausethefarmer’swifewouldnotletherhatchherowneggs. Hersister-in-law,Mrs.RebeccahPuddle-duck,wasperfectlywillingtoleavethehatchingtosomeoneelse—“Ihavenotthepatiencetositonanestfortwenty-eightdays;andnomorehaveyou,Jemima. Youwouldletthemgocold;youknowyouwould!” “Iwishtohatchmyowneggs;Iwillhatchthemallbymyself,”quackedJemimaPuddle-duck. Shetriedtohidehereggs;buttheywerealwaysfoundandcarriedoff. JemimaPuddle-duckbecamequitedesperate.Shedeterminedtomakeanestrightawayfromthefarm. Shesetoffonafinespringafternoonalongthecartroadthatleadsoverthehill. Shewaswearingashawlandapokebonnet. Whenshereachedthetopofthehill,shesawawoodinthedistance. Shethoughtthatitlookedasafequietspot. JemimaPuddle-duckwasnotmuchinthehabitofflying.Sherandownhillafewyardsflappinghershawl,andthenshejumpedoffintotheair. Sheflewbeautifullywhenshehadgotagoodstart. Sheskimmedalongoverthetreetopsuntilshesawanopenplaceinthemiddleofthewood,wherethetreesandbrushwoodhadbeencleared. Jemimaalightedratherheavilyandbegantowaddleaboutinsearchofaconvenientdrynestingplace.Sheratherfanciedatreestumpamongstsometallfoxgloves. But—seateduponthestump,shewasstartledtofindanelegantlydressedgentlemanreadinganewspaper.Hehadblackprickearsandsandycoloredwhiskers. “Quack?”saidJemimaPuddle-duck,withherheadandherbonnetontheoneside—“Quack?” ThegentlemanraisedhiseyesabovehisnewspaperandlookedcuriouslyatJemima— “Madam,haveyoulostyourway?”saidhe.Hehadalongbushytailwhichhewassittingupon,asthestumpwassomewhatdamp. Jemimathoughthimmightycivilandhandsome.Sheexplainedthatshehadnotlostherway,butthatshewastryingtofindaconvenientdrynestingplace. “Ah!Isthatso?Indeed!”saidthegentlemanwithsandywhiskers,lookingcuriouslyatJemima.Hefoldedupthenewspaperandputitinhiscoattailpocket. Jemimacomplainedofthesuperfluoushen. “Indeed!Howinteresting!IwishIcouldmeetwiththatfowl.Iwouldteachittominditsownbusiness! “Butastoanest—thereisnodifficulty:Ihaveasackfuloffeathersinmywoodshed. No,mydearmadam,youwillbeinnobody’sway. Youmaysitthereaslongasyoulike,”saidthebushylong-tailedgentleman. Heledthewaytoaveryretired,dismal-lookinghouseamongstthefoxgloves. Itwasbuiltoffaggotsandturf,andthereweretwobrokenpails,oneontopofanother,bywayofachimney. “Thisismysummerresidence;youwouldnotfindmyearth—mywinterhouse—soconvenient,”saidthehospitablegentleman. Therewasatumbledownshedatthebackofthehouse,madeofoldsoapboxes.ThegentlemanopenedthedoorandshowedJemimain. Theshedwasalmostquitefulloffeathers—itwasalmostsuffocating;butitwascomfortableandverysoft. JemimaPuddle-duckwasrathersurprisedtofindsuchavastquantityoffeathers.Butitwasverycomfortable;andshemadeanestwithoutanytroubleatall. Whenshecameout,thesandy-whiskeredgentlemanwassittingonalogreadingthenewspaper—atleasthehaditspreadout,buthewaslookingoverthetopofit. HewassopolitethatheseemedalmostsorrytoletJemimagohomeforthenight.Hepromisedtotakegreatcareofhernestuntilshecamebackagainthenextday. Hesaidhelovedeggsandducklings;heshouldbeproudtoseeafinenestfulinhiswoodshed. JemimaPuddle-duckcameeveryafternoon;shelaidnineeggsinthenest.Theyweregreenywhiteandverylarge. Thefoxygentlemanadmiredthemimmensely. HeusedtoturnthemoverandcountthemwhenJemimawasnotthere. AtlastJemimatoldhimthatsheintendedtobegintositnextday—”andIwillbringabagofcornwithme,sothatIneedneverleavemynestuntiltheeggsarehatched. Theymightcatchcold,”saidtheconscientiousJemima. “Madam,Ibegyounottotroubleyourselfwithabag;Iwillprovideoats.Butbeforeyoucommenceyourtedioussitting,Iintendtogiveyouatreat.Letushaveadinnerpartyalltoourselves! “MayIaskyoutobringupsomeherbsfromthefarmgardentomakeasavoryomelet? Sageandthyme,andmintandtwoonions,andsomeparsley. Iwillprovidelardforthestuff—lardfortheomelet,”saidthehospitablegentlemanwithsandywhiskers. JemimaPuddle-duckwasasimpleton:noteventhementionofsageandonionsmadehersuspicious. Shewentroundthefarmgarden,nibblingoffsnippetsofallthedifferentsortsofherbsthatareusedforstuffingroastduck. Andshewaddledintothekitchenandgottwoonionsoutofabasket. ThecolliedogKepmethercomingout,“Whatareyoudoingwiththoseonions?Wheredoyougoeveryafternoonbyyourself,JemimaPuddle-duck?” Jemimawasratherinaweofthecollie;shetoldhimthewholestory. Thecollielistened,withhiswiseheadononeside;hegrinnedwhenshedescribedthepolitegentlemanwithsandywhiskers. Heaskedseveralquestionsaboutthewoodandabouttheexactpositionofthehouseandshed. Thenhewentout,andtrotteddownthevillage.Hewenttolookfortwofoxhoundpuppieswhowereoutatwalkwiththebutcher. JemimaPuddle-duckwentupthecartroadforthelasttime,onasunnyafternoon.Shewasratherburdenedwithbunchesofherbsandtwoonionsinabag. Sheflewoverthewood,andalightedoppositethehouseofthebushylong-tailedgentleman. Hewassittingonalog;hesniffedtheairandkeptglancinguneasilyroundthewood.WhenJemimaalightedhequitejumped. “Comeintothehouseassoonasyouhavelookedatyoureggs.Givemetheherbsfortheomelet.Besharp!” Hewasratherabrupt.JemimaPuddle-duckhadneverheardhimspeaklikethat. Shefeltsurprisedanduncomfortable. Whileshewasinsidesheheardpatteringfeetroundthebackoftheshed.Someonewithablacknosesniffedatthebottomofthedoor,andthemlockedit. Amomentafterwardthereweremostawfulnoises—barking,baying,growlsandhowls,squealingandgroans. Andnothingmorewaseverseenofthatfoxy-whiskeredgentleman. PresentlyKepopenedthedooroftheshedandletoutJemimaPuddle-duck. Unfortunatelythepuppiesrushedinandgobbledupalltheeggsbeforehecouldstopthem. Hehadabiteonhisear,andboththepuppieswerelimping. JemimaPuddle-duckwasescortedhomeintearsonaccountofthoseeggs. ShelaidsomemoreinJune,andshewaspermittedtokeepthemherself:butonlyfourofthemhatched. JemimaPuddle-ducksaidthatitwasbecauseofhernerves;butshehadalwaysbeenabadsitter. 
