At last the eggs broke, one after the other. Little ducks came out.

Only one egg was left. It was a very large one.

At last it broke, and out came a big, ugly duckling.

"What a big duckling!" said the old duck. "He does not look like
us. Can he be a turkey?--We will see. If he does not like the water,
he is not a duck."

* * * * * * *

mother jumped duckling
splash swim bigger
called began little


The next day the mother duck took her ducklings to the pond.

[Illustration: THE DUCK TAKES HER DUCKLINGS TO SWIM.]

Splash! Splash! The mother duck was in the water. Then she called
the ducklings to come in. They all jumped in and began to swim. The
big, ugly duckling swam, too.

The mother duck said, "He is not a turkey. He is my own little duck.
He will not be so ugly when he is bigger."

* * * * * * *