"You certainly would," replied Mrs. Quack. "We always find lots of
your relatives in such places."

"Marshes must be something like swamps," ventured Peter Rabbit,
who had been thinking the matter over.

"Very much the same, only with grass and rushes in place of trees
and bushes," replied Mrs. Quack. "There is plenty to eat and the
loveliest hiding-places. In some of these we stayed days at a time.
In fact, we stayed until Jack Frost came to drive us out. Then as
we flew, we began to see the homes of these terrible two-legged
creatures called men, and from that time on we never knew a minute
of peace, excepting when we were flying high in the air or far out
over the water. If we could have just kept flying all the time or
never had to go near the shore, we would have been all right. But
we had to eat."

"Of course," said Peter. "Everybody has to eat."

"And we had to rest," said Mrs. Quack.

"Certainly," said Peter. "Everybody has to do that."

"And to eat we had to go in close to shore where the water was
not at all deep, because it is only in such places that we can get
food," continued Mrs. Quack. "It takes a lot of strength to fly
as we fly, and strength requires plenty of food. Mr. Quack knew all
the best feeding-places, for he had made the long journey several
times, so every day he would lead the way to one of these. He always