The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-08-26

with such: you may rely upon ME that !
wish you well, for tell you all these un-
pleasant things; and that is the sign OF a
true friend. Now do your best to lay eggs on
catch mice
4 will 20 out into the wide world said
the duckling.
Pray do answered the hen.
The wretched duckling left the cottage;
he soon met with some water; he plunged
into il, and swan over il in rapture.
Ii was now autumn; the leaves in the
woods became yellow and brown. the wind
whirled them around, and then hurled them
away, the air became cold, the clouds were
heavy with hail and snow; il was msera-
bic time for the poor duckling.
One evening, just as the sun was setting
whole troop OF large beautiful birds rush
ed forth from the bushes; the duckling had
never seen anything so fair; they were daz-
zlingly white, with long slender necks: it
was troop Of. swans. They spread their
large, glorious wings, and flew away from
the cold lands to warmer countries-to ihe
sweet blue lakes; they scared higher and
higher, and the poor ugly duckling was
quite bewildered with their loneliness and
their powers. He could not forget them,
those beautiful, those happy birds, he knew
not their name, nor whittier they flew, but
he felt such love to them as he had never
felt for anything before: he did not envy
them; how could HE think of being like
THEM, poor ugly creature, who would have
been glad if even the ducks had suffered
him to live among them.
Winter came and with it the piercing
cold OF the NORTH the duckling was soon
Obliged to keep swimming round and round
in the water Of pond, to prevent its freez
ing; but every night the hole grew smaller
and he was compelled to move his feet in
cessantly to keep it open; at length he be.
came very faint, and lay quite benumbet
in the ice.
The next morning peasant passed, saw
him, broke the ice with his wooden shoe
and bore him home, where he was brough
to life again; and the children wanted 4
play with him; but the duckling was afraiC
LOT them, and in his terror he flew up int
the milk-dsh, so that half the milk wa
split. The peasants wife began to scream
this frightened him into the butter-tub, ther
into the neal-box, and out again. Heav
ensl how odd he locked, all milk and meal
And the woman attempted TO reach hin
with the tongs, and the children ran afte
him, laughing and screaming. What LUCK
for the poor duckling that the door wa
open! Away he ran, and plunged into th'
snow, where he lay in sort OF lethargy.
But it would be too sad to describe th'
misery Of the wretched creature during III,
long long winter. When the snow melted
he found himself lying in the iens; soon tn,
sun began to shine warmly, and the lark
TO sing-the sweet spring was come. Ther
at once he raised his wings; they were fal
larger than when he last spread them, anC
bore him rapidly away: soon he saw him
self in large garden, where the apple
trees were blooming, where the hlacs ex
hailed their fragrance. and dipped their Ions
green branches in the deep-winding river
Everything was full Of beauty, and upon tn
water foated three fair swans, lightly skim
ming the waves with their dazzling wings
The duckling recognised the beautiful birds
and his heart throbbed. d will fly to them
the kingly birds. Perhaps they will xii
me, because / who am 10 ugly have ventur
ed to approach them; but no matter--bet
ter to be killed by them than to be bitler
by the ducks, pecked by the hens, kickec
away by the servants, and suffer all that
have done through the long rough winter;
and he SWAN towards the beautiful swans
they saw him, and approached. Kill me,
said the wretched creature, and bowed hi,
head to the surface Of the water, and ex
pected instant death. But what did he Sc,
in the clear waves? His own inagel anc
10 he was no longer clumsy, swarth,
bird, ugly and despised--he was himself {
swan lit matters not to have been born
in poultry-yard, if one has but lain in thu
egg Of a swami He was almost glad hi
had suffered so much. Nov he knew bet
ter how to value all the happiness that sur
rounded him. And the swans swan round
him, and stroked him with their beaks.
Some little children came into the gar
den and cast bread and cakes into the wa
ter, and the youngest exclaimed, There il
new swami and the other children re
peated jOyfully, Yes, there is a new one
and they clapped their hands, and danced
and called their father and mother, anC
bread and cakes were thrown to him, anC
they all cried, The ne,c swan is the mos
besutiful--so young and fair and the ole
swans bowed TO him.
Then he felt quite bashfil, and hid hi,
head under his wing he knew not why; bu
he felt too happy, but net proud; fol
a kind heart never becomes proud. H,
felt how despised he had been. and now h,
heard himself praised as the lairest Of thost
fair birds; and the lilacs bowed to him witt
their graceful branches and the sun shon,
out brightly. Then his eyes sparkled, b,
lifted his slender, elegant neck, and full Of
Hoy, he exclaimed, Il did not dream Of sc
much happiness when / was the Ugly
| Duckling.