A gentleman was lying one summer's day under the shelter of some
shrubs on the banks of the Tweed, when his attention was attracted
by the cries of wild-fowl, accompanied by a great deal of
fluttering and splashing. On looking round, he perceived a large
brood of ducks, which had been disturbed by the drifting of a fir
branch among them. After circling in the air for a little time,
they again settled down on their feeding-ground.

Two or three minutes elapsed, when the same event again occurred. A
branch drifted down with the stream into the midst of the ducks,
and startled them from their repast. Once more they rose upon the
wing, clamouring loudly, but when the harmless bough had drifted
by, settled themselves down upon the water as before. This occurred
so frequently, that at last they scarcely troubled themselves to
flutter out of the way, even when about to be touched by the
drifting bough.

The gentleman, meantime, marking the regular intervals at which the
fir branches succeeded each other in the same track, looked for a
cause, and perceived, at length, higher up the bank of the stream,
a fox, which, having evidently sent them adrift, was eagerly
watching their progress and the effect they produced. Satisfied
with the result, cunning Reynard at last selected a larger branch
of spruce-fir than usual, and couching himself down on it, set it
adrift as he had done the others. The birds, now well trained to
indifference, scarcely moved till he was in the midst of them,
when, making rapid snaps right and left, he secured two fine young
ducks as his prey, and floated forward triumphantly on his raft;
while the surviving fowls, clamouring in terror, took to flight,