Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-11-26
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF a
DUckLlNG.

"AO dS oOOA al lA0 W6LOT Was WAL III
enough, our mother took US to the pond.
There were eighteen ducks in our
family, but several died and there were
only nine left
Ny grandmother was killed and put
on the table before the governor of
Iowa, Il never heard his name) aud all
OF us are very proud of our ancestors.
My fathers father was killed during
that remarkable fight in the very same
barn-yard was born In. The turkey
cock thought he was so smart and my
grandfather was going to show him a
thing or two, but the turkey won, and,
sad to say, grandfather was killed.
l heard mother talking to Mrs,
Fluff once, about how intelligent we
were.
fell in with the children of Mrs.
Goose, and we were just having fine
time, when the horses and cattle came
up to water and stepped on two of
Mrs. Goose's children and killed them.
They were buried in the evening and
there was never such a large funeral
before in the history, Of the BARNARD.
didn't like any of the turkey tribe;
because they thought they owned It,
all. didn't like the chickens either.
Oh! they were good company, but then
they would never go in bathing.
When the farmer fed us. (which was
three IT,, es da7l tho pigeons ard
plays would come and stea! our corn,
and then shoot right straight up into
the air. so we couldn't get them.
About the first Of August, the far
ORC r1nnhnyy IA vrSojt 1T
never saw such mean boy, but the
only thing remember is this-one
day he came to the barnyard and shut
three OF us in the corn-crib. At first
this was treat, to get all the corn
we wanted, but at last we were full
and wanted out. Instead of letting us
out he rubbed six grains of corn down
our necks-I don't suppose the reader
of this can see how It was done, but i
know how he did 1t Just the same
About the first of November the far
nler began to feed us moro. and all Of
us wondered about It. It was the talk
Of our crowd.
One day when we ware OF in cor
ner, an old turkey gobbler came up to
us and said, II am old and know what
this means, have seen too many
Thanksgiving not to. All OF you
youngsters are going to market and be
killed a",. -
Now Mr. Abraham. you know you
ought not to ne surfing those little
children wiEn that kind of talk said
Mrs Goc.e coming up.
We didn't believe Mr.. Turkey, but
what he had said aroused our sEsl'i-
cions
One dsy si,snge rooster came to
our Earnyard and we soon learned his
name was Mr.. Freckles.
The very next day we heard the far
mer say to Mary, "Well Mary. the
poultry will soon be fat enough for
market. It is soon Thanksgiving and
we'll get good price"
That scared us more than ever and
we went to see Mr.. FreckNss about this
SUBJECT.
YES" he said. 81. is all true and
that is why l came over here. Where
I was they were shutting the poultry
up to fatten them and was afraid they
would get me-"
Two days later our mother came to
us and said, dear children, it is al
most time to go to market and then
you must part from all your dear
friends. am too old to go. I would
be too tough. "This made all OF rs
cry, and determined l wouldn't be
caught.
The next morning when Mr.. Jones
was coming down the lane with s>me
crates, slipped OF to the pond. When
Mr.. Jones came down for me. was in
the middle of it. came out when
thought he was gone, but he had been
hiding. He caught me and put me in
the crate with the others.
AS they were unloading the crater,
a slat of my crate came unfastened.
and slipped out unheard and unseen
by anyone.
l was found on the street by girl,
and she took me home with her and
fed me for was very hungry.
Four long years have passed since
that year on the farm, and now the
memories are very faint. but have
tried to put in words what still rem
ember. I suppose am the only one
Of our family still living. My mistress
is verv kind to me, and am now the
not cf tho family