Short Stories
THE DEVOTED FRIEND
by Oscar Wild e
One morning the old Water-rat put his head out of his hole. He
had bright beady eyes and stiff grey whiskers and his tail was
like a long bit of black india-rubber. The little ducks were swim-
ming about in the pond, looking just like a lot of yellow canaries,
and their mother, who was pure white with real red legs, was
trying to teach them how to stand on their heads in the water.
“You will never be in the best society unless you can stand on
your heads,” she kept saying to them; and every now and then
she showed them how it was done. But the little ducks paid no
attention to her. They were so young that they did not know
what an advantage it is to be in society at all.
“What disobedient children!” cried the old Water-rat; “they
really deserve to be drowned.”
“Nothing of the kind,” answered the Duck, “every one must
make a beginning, and parents cannot be too patient.”
“Ah! I know nothing about the feelings of parents,” said the
Water-rat; “I am not a family man. In fact, I have never been
married, and I never intend to be. Love is all very well in its way,
but friendship is much higher. Indeed, I know of nothing in the
world that is either nobler or rarer than a devoted friendship.”
“And what, pray, is your idea of the duties of a devoted
friend?” asked a Green Linnet, who was sitting in a willow-tree
hard by, and had overheard the conversation.
“Yes, that is just what I want to know,” said the Duck; and
she swam away to the end of the pond, and stood upon her
head, in order to give her children a good example.
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