theysaid,oneafteranother,astheycameup."wecan'tsing,certainly;butwehaveasounding-board,orsomethingofthekind,withinus;wecanfeelthat,thoughwedon'ttalkaboutit."

"buticantalk,"saidtheportugueseduck;"andi'lldosomethingforthelittlefellow;it'smyduty;"andshesteppedintothewater-trough,andbeatherwingsuponthewatersostronglythatthebirdwasnearlydrownedbyashower-bath;buttheduckmeantitkindly."thatisagooddeed,"shesaid;"ihopetheotherswilltakeexamplebyit."

"tweet,tweet!"saidthelittlebird,foroneofhiswingsbeingbroken,hefounditdifficulttoshakehimself;buthequiteunderstoodthatthebathwasmeantkindly,andhesaid,"youareverykind-hearted,madam;"buthedidnotwishforasecondbath.

"ihaveneverthoughtaboutmyheart,"repliedtheportugueseduck,"butiknowthatiloveallmyfellow-creatures,exceptthecat,andnobodycanexpectmetoloveher,forsheateuptwoofmyducklings.butpraymakeyourselfathome;itiseasytomakeone'sselfcomfortable.iammyselffromaforeigncountry,asyoumayseebymyfeatherydress.mydrakeisanativeoftheseparts;he'snotofmyrace;butiamnotproudonthataccount.ifanyoneherecanunderstandyou,imaysaypositivelyiamthatperson."

"she'squitefullof'portulak,'"saidalittlecommonduck,whowaswitty.allthecommonducksconsideredtheword"portulak"agoodjoke,foritsoundedlikeportugal.theynudgedeachother,andsaid,"quack!thatwaswitty!"

thentheotherducksbegantonoticethelittlebird."theportuguesehadcertainlyagreatflowoflanguage,"theysaidtothelittlebird."forourpartwedon'tcaretofillourbeakswithsuchlongwords,butwesympathizewithyouquiteasmuch.ifwedon'tdoanythingelse,wecanwalkaboutwithyoueverywhere,andwethinkthatisthebestthingwecando."

"youhavealovelyvoice,"saidoneoftheeldestducks;"itmustbegreatsatisfactiontoyoutobeabletogivesomuchpleasureasyoudo.iamcertainlynojudgeofyoursingingsoikeepmybeakshut,whichisbetterthantalkingnonsense,asothersdo."

"don'tplaguehimso,interposedtheportugueseduck;"herequiresrestandnursing.mylittlesinging-birddoyouwishmetoprepareanotherbathforyou?"

"oh,no!no!prayletmedry,"imploredthelittlebird.

"thewater-cureistheonlyremedyforme,wheniamnotwell,"saidtheportuguese."amusement,too,isverybeneficial.thefowlsfromtheneighborhoodwillsoonbeheretopayyouavisit.therearetwocochinchineseamongstthem;theywearfeathersontheirlegs,andarewelleducated.theyhavebeenbroughtfromagreatdistance,andconsequentlyitreatthemwithgreaterrespectthanidotheothers."

thenthefowlsarrived,andthecockwaspoliteenoughto-daytokeepfrombeingrude."youarearealsongster,"hesaid,"youdoasmuchwithyourlittlevoiceasitispossibletodo;butthererequiresmorenoiseandshrillnessinanyonewhowishesittobeknownwhoheis."

thetwochinesewerequiteenchantedwiththeappearanceofthesinging-bird.hisfeathershadbeenmuchruffledbyhisbath,sothatheseemedtothemquitelikeatinychinesefowl."he'scharming,"theysaidtoeachother,andbeganaconversationwithhiminwhispers,usingthemostaristocraticchinesedialect:"weareofthesameraceasyourself,"theysaid."theducks,eventheportuguese,areallaquaticbirds,asyoumusthavenoticed.youdonotknowusyet,-veryfewknowus,orgivethemselvesthetroubletomakeouracquaintance,notevenanyofthefowls,thoughweareborntooccupyahighergradeinsocietythanmostofthem.butthatdoesnotdisturbus,wequietlygooninourownwayamongtherest,whoseideasarecertainlynotours;forwelookatthebrightsideofthings,andonlyspeakwhatisgood,althoughthatissometimesverydifficulttofindwherenoneexists.exceptourselvesandthecockthereisnotoneintheyardwhocanbecalledtalentedorpolite.itcannotevenbesaidoftheducks,andwewarnyou,littlebird,nottotrustthatoneyonder,withtheshorttailfeathers,forsheiscunning;thatcuriouslymarkedone,withthecrookedstripesonherwings,isamischief-maker,andneverletsanyonehavethelastword,thoughsheisalwaysinthewrong.thatfatduckyonderspeaksevilofeveryone,andthatisagainstourprinciples.ifwehavenothinggoodtotell,wecloseourbeaks.theportugueseistheonlyonewhohashadanyeducation,andwithwhomwecanassociate,butsheispassionate,andtalkstoomuchabout'portugal.'"

"iwonderwhatthosetwochinesearewhisperingabout,"whisperedoneducktoanother;"theyarealwaysdoingit,anditannoysme.weneverspeaktothem."

nowthedrakecameup,andhethoughtthelittlesinging-birdwasasparrow."well,idon'tunderstandthedifference,"hesaid;"itappearstomeallthesame.he'sonlyaplaything,andifpeoplewillhaveplaythings,whyletthem,isay."

"don'ttakeanynoticeofwhathesays,"whisperedtheportuguese;"he'sverywellinmattersofbusiness,andwithhimbusinessisplacedbeforeeverything.butnowishallliedownandhavealittlerest.itisadutyweowetoourselvesthatwemaybeniceandfatwhenwecometobeembalmedwithsageandonionsandapples."soshelaidherselfdowninthesunandwinkedwithoneeye;shehadaverycomfortableplace,andfeltsocomfortablethatshefellasleep.thelittlesinging-birdbusiedhimselfforsometimewithhisbrokenwing,andatlasthelaydown,too,quiteclosetohisprotectress.thesunshonewarmandbright,andhefoundoutthatitwasaverygoodplace.butthefowlsoftheneighborhoodwereallawake,and,totellthetruth,theyhadpaidavisittotheduckyard,simplyandsolelytofindfoodforthemselves.thechinesewerethefirsttoleave,andtheotherfowlssoonfollowedthem.

thewittylittleducksaidoftheportuguese,thattheoldladywasgettingquitea"dotingducky,"alltheotherduckslaughedatthis."dotingducky,"theywhispered."oh,that'stoo'witty!