rag around her leg; that's something very, very fine, and the greatest
mark of honor a duck can have: it means that one does not want to lose
her, and that she's known by the animals and by men too. Hurry!
hurry!--don't turn in your toes, a well brought-up duck turns it's toes
quite out, just like father and mother,--so! Now bend your necks and
say 'Quack!'"

And they did so; but the other ducks round about looked at them, and
said quite boldly,--"Look there! now we're to have this crowd too! as if
there were not enough of us already! And--fie!--how that Duckling yonder
looks: we won't stand that!" And at once one Duck flew at him, and bit
him in the neck.

"Let him alone," said the mother: "he is not doing anything to any one."

"Yes, but he's too large and odd," said the Duck who had bitten him,
"and so he must be put down."

"Those are pretty children the mother has," said the old Duck with the
rag round her leg. "They're all pretty but that one; that is rather
unlucky. I wish she could have that one over again."

"That cannot be done, my lady," said the Mother-Duck. "He is not pretty,
but he has a really good temper, and swims as well as any of the others;
yes, I may even say it, a little better. I think he will grow up pretty,
perhaps in time he will grow a little smaller; he lay too long in the
egg, and therefore he has not quite the right shape." And she pinched
him in the neck, and smoothed his feathers. "Besides, he is a drake,"
she said, "and so it does not matter much. I think he will be very
strong: he makes his way already."