rstand you, I may assert that I am that
person."

"She's quite full of Portulak," said a little common duck, who was
witty; and all the other common ducks considered the word _Portulak_
quite a good joke, for it sounded like Portugal; and they nudged each
other and said "Rapp!" It was too witty! And all the other ducks now
began to notice the little singing bird.

"The Portuguese has certainly a greater command of language," they
said. "For our part, we don't care to fill our beaks with such long
words, but our sympathy is just as great. If we don't do anything for
you, we march about with you everywhere; and we think that the best
thing we can do."

"You have a lovely voice," said one of the oldest. "It must be a great
satisfaction to be able to give so much pleasure as you are able to
impart. I certainly am no great judge of your song, and consequently I
keep my beak shut; and even that is better than talking nonsense to
you, as others do."

"Don't plague him so," interposed the Portuguese duck: "he requires
rest and nursing. My little singing bird, do you wish me to prepare
another bath for you?"

"Oh no! pray let me be dry!" was the little bird's petition.

"The water-cure is the only remedy for me when I am unwell," quoth the
Portuguese. "Amusement is beneficial too! The neighbouring fowls will
soon come to pay their visit. There are two Cochin Chinese among them.
They wear feathers on their legs, are well educated, and have been
brought from afar, consequently they stand higher than the others in
my regard."

And the fowls came, and the cock came; to-day he was polite enough to
abstain from being rude.

"You are a true singing bird," he said, "and you do as much with your
little voice as can possibly be done with it. But one requires a
little more shrillness, that every hearer may hear that one is a
male."

The two Chinese stood quite enchanted with the appearance of the
singing bird. He looked very much rumpled after his bath, so that he
seemed to them to have quite the appearance of a little Cochin China
fowl. "He's charming," they cried, and began a conversation with him,
speaking in whispers, and using the most aristocratic Chinese dialect.

[Illustration: THE LITTLE SINGING BIRD RECEIVES DISTINGUISHED
PATRONAGE.]

"We are of your race," they continued. "The ducks, even the
Portuguese, are swimming birds, as you cannot fail to have noticed.
You do not know us yet; very few know us, or give them