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DAME DUCK'S

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FIRST LECTURE ON EDUCATION.

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Old Mother Duck has hatched a brood

Of ducklings, small and callow:

Their little wings are short, their down

Is mottled gray and yellow.

There is a quiet little stream,

That runs into the moat,

Where tall, green sedges spread their leaves,

And water-lilies float.

Close by the margin of this brook

The old duck made her nest,

Of straw, and leaves, and withered grass,

And down from her own breast.

And there she sat for four long weeks,

In rainy days and fine,

Until the ducklings all came out,

Four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.

One peeped out from beneath her wing,

One scrambled on her back;

"That's very rude," said old Dame Duck;

"Get off, quack, quack, quack, quack!"

"'Tis close," said Dame Duck, shoving out

The egg-shells with her bill;

"Besides, it never suits young ducks

To keep them sitting still."

So, rising from her nest, she said,

"Now, children, look at me:

A well-bred duck should waddle so,

From side to side; d'ye see?"

"Yes!" said the little ones; and then

She went on to explain,

"A well-bred duck turns in its toes

As I do;—try again."

"Yes!" said the ducklings, waddling on.

"That's better," said their mother;

"But well-bred ducks walk in a row,

Straight, one beside the other."

"Yes!" said the little ducks again,

All waddling in a row.

"Now to the pond," said old Dame Duck.

Splash, splash, and in they go.

"Now swim like me," said old Dame Duck:

"To this side, then to that,

And snap at all the flies you see;

They make young ducklings fat.

"Now when you reach the poultry yard,

Our mistress, Mary Ann,

Will feed you, with the other fowls,

On mashed-up bread and bran.

"The hens and chicks will peck and fight,

But let me hope that you

Will gobble up the food as fast

As well-bred ducks should do.

"You'd better get into the dish,

Unless it is too small;

In that case, mount it with both feet,

And overturn it all."

The obedient ducklings practised thus,

And found the plan so good

That from that day the other fowls

Got hardly any food.