ing!" observed the Portuguese duck.
"But he's a handsome bird, there's no denying that, though he is not a
drake. He ought to moderate his voice, but that's an art inseparable
from polite education, like that possessed by the little singing birds
over in the lime trees in the neighbour's garden. How charmingly they
sing! There's something quite pretty in their warbling. I call it
Portugal. If I had only such a little singing bird, I'd be a mother to
him, kind and good, for that's in my blood, my Portuguese blood!"

And while she was still speaking, a little singing bird came head over
heels from the roof into the yard. The cat was behind him, but the
bird escaped with a broken wing, and that's how he came tumbling into
the yard.

"That's just like the cat; she's a villain!" said the Portuguese duck.
"I remember her ways when I had children of my own. That such a
creature should be allowed to live, and to wander about upon the
roofs! I don't think they do such things in Portugal!"

And she pitied the little singing bird, and the other ducks who were
not of Portuguese descent pitied him too.

"Poor little creature!" they said, as one after another came up. "We
certainly can't sing," they said, "but we have a sounding board, or
something of the kind, within us; we can feel that, though we don't
talk of it."

"But I can talk of it," said the Portuguese duck; "and I'll do
something for the little fellow, for that's my duty!" And she stepped
into the water-trough, and beat her wings upon the water so heartily,
that the little singing bird was almost drowned by the bath she got,
but the duck meant it kindly. "That's a good deed," she said: "the
others may take example by it."

"Piep!" said the little bird; one of his wings was broken, and he
found it difficult to shake himself; but he quite understood that the
bath was kindly meant. "You are very kind-hearted, madam," he said;
but he did not wish for a second bath.

"I have never thought about my heart," continued the Portuguese duck,
"but I know this much, that I love all my fellow-creatures except the
cat; but nobody can expect me to love her, for she ate up two of my
ducklings. But pray make yourself at home, for one can make oneself
comfortable. I myself am from a strange country, as you may see from
my bearing, and from my feathery dress. My drake is a native of these
parts, he's not of my race; but for all that I'm not proud! If any one
here in the yard can unde