It was
lovely summer weather in the country, and the golden corn, the green oats, and
the haystacks piled up in the meadows looked beautiful. The stork walking about
on his long red legs chattered in the Egyptian language, which he had learnt
from his mother. The corn-fields and meadows were surrounded by large forests,
in the midst of which were deep pools. It was, indeed, delightful to walk about
in the country. In a sunny spot stood a pleasant old farm-house close by a deep
river, and from the house down to the water side grew great burdock leaves, so
high, that under the tallest of them a little child could stand upright. The
spot was as wild as the centre of a thick wood. In this snug retreat sat a duck
on her nest, watching for her young brood to hatch; she was beginning to get
tired of her task, for the little ones were a long time coming out of their
shells, and she seldom had any visitors. The other ducks liked much better to
swim about in the river than to climb the slippery banks, and sit under a
burdock leaf, to have a gossip with her.
At length one shell cracked, and then another, and from each egg came a living
creature that lifted its head and cried, "Peep, peep."
"Quack, quack," said the mother, and then they all quacked as well as
they could, and looked about them on every side at the large green leaves.
Their mother allowed them to look as much as they liked, because green is good
for the eyes.
"How large the world is," said the young ducks, when they found how
much more room they now had than while they were inside the egg-shell.
"Do you imagine this is the whole world?" asked the mother;
"Wait till you have seen the garden; it stretches far beyond that to the
parson's field, but I have never ventured to such a distance. Are you all
out?" she continued, rising; "No, I declare, the largest egg lies
there still. I wonder how long this is to last, I am quite tired of it;"
and she seated herself again on the nest.
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