1. as betty's brood was now grown old enough to go into the world, she had plenty of time to pay snowdrop a visit. so she went off one fine morning and found her near the brink of the pond.
2. snowdrop was using her orange bill as a shovel to catch leeches in the mud.[pg 133] betty told her that she had come to have a chat with her. she wished to speak about the way in which she had brought up her children.
3. "i am sure, my dear snowdrop," said betty, "that cold water was the death of all your lost ducklings, no matter what you or any other bird may say.
4. "you are a strong duck, and so it has not hurt you yet. but you see that your frail little ones are all gone. it is all through your careless habit of letting them dabble in the mud all day and get their feet wet."
5. "nonsense!" said snowdrop, as, with an eye dark and bright as that of betty, she glanced at her own orange legs and webbed feet.
6. "nonsense! it is all nature, and runs in the blood," she said. "my mother before me, and her mother before that, knew that water never hurts a duck. it hurts us to be kept dry!
7. "and as for catching cold or getting fits, or cramp, or the pip—can you do this?" and as she spoke, snowdrop[pg 134] waddled down the steepest part of the bank.
8. she set her breast for a moment against the tiny ripples of the pond until she was in water deep enough to swim in. then, all of a sudden, she turned herself upside down.
9. her head went below, and nothing of her could be seen above but a tail, and two yellow legs. she stayed so long like this, grubbing for water-snails, that betty began to fear she should never see her head again.
10. but she popped it out again in a few minutes, and came sailing with a saucy quack back again to the bank. "do i look any the worse?" said she.
11. betty held her tongue. she still thought, as she had done before, that no matter what snowdrop did, cold water was bad for ducklings.
12. a young bantam hen, who was standing by, said to betty, "where can you have come from, and what sort of egg did you creep out of, not to have seen a duck swim before?" said the bantam.[pg 135]
13. "all the yard knows that they are the best sailors in the world! but for you and me, our ruffles are too well starched for such a way of life."
14. here was a new wonder to betty. though a shower of rain soaked all her fine feathers through, and made them limp as old rags, snowdrop came out of the pond dry and warm, her plumes crisp and neat.
15. not a trace of water was to be seen on her. well, to be sure! betty could not make it out. after all there must be[pg 136] a thing or two which even the wisest hen does not know.
16. "i advise you to carry oil in your feathers when you learn to swim," said snowdrop, as she skimmed off again over the pond. "that is my plan, but ducks are too wise to boast about it."
write: betty went to see the duck. she felt much surprise at seeing her swim and dive. but she still thought that water was not good for ducklings.
questions: 1. where did betty find snowdrop? 2. what did betty say to her? 3. what did the bantam hen say? 4. what did snowdrop do to show betty? 5. what did betty still think about ducklings? 6. how was it that the duck's feathers were not wet?
