THE PORTUGUESE DUCK.docx

THE PORTUGUESE DUCK.docx

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THEPORTUGUESEDUCK

1872

FAIRYTALESOFHANSCHRISTIANANDERSEN

THEPORTUGUESEDUCK

byHansChristianAndersen

ADUCKoncearrivedfromPortugal,butthereweresomewhosaid

shecamefromSpain,whichisalmostthesamething.Atallevents,

shewascalledthe"Portuguese,"andshelaideggs,waskilled,and

cooked,andtherewasanendofher.Buttheducklingswhichcrept

forthfromtheeggswerealsocalled"Portuguese,"andaboutthat

theremaybesomequestion.Butofallthefamilyoneonlyremainedin

theduckyard,whichmaybecalledafarmyard,asthechickenswere

admitted,andthecockstruttedaboutinaveryhostilemanner."He

annoysmewithhisloudcrowing,"saidthePortugueseduck;"but,

still,he'sahandsomebird,there'snodenyingthat,althoughhe's

notadrake.Heoughttomoderatehisvoice,likethoselittlebirds

whoaresinginginthelime-treesoverthereinourneighbor'sgarden,

butthatisanartonlyacquiredinpolitesociety.Howsweetlythey

singthere;itisquiteapleasuretolistentothem!

Icallit

Portuguesesinging.IfIhadonlysuchalittlesinging-bird,I'dbe

kindandgoodasamothertohim,forit'sinmynature,inmy

Portugueseblood."

Whileshewasspeaking,oneofthelittlesinging-birdscame

tumblingheadoverheelsfromtheroofintotheyard.Thecatwas

afterhim,buthehadescapedfromherwithabrokenwing,andsocame

tumblingintotheyard."That'sjustlikethecat,she'savillain,"

saidthePortugueseduck."IrememberherwayswhenIhadchildren

ofmyown.Howcansuchacreaturebeallowedtolive,andwander

aboutupontheroofs.Idon'tthinktheyallowsuchthingsin

Portugal."Shepitiedthelittlesinging-bird,andsodidallthe

otherduckswhowerenotPortuguese.

"Poorlittlecreature!

"theysaid,oneafteranother,astheycame

up."Wecan'tsing,certainly;butwehaveasounding-board,or

somethingofthekind,withinus;wecanfeelthat,thoughwedon't

talkaboutit."

"ButIcantalk,"saidthePortugueseduck;"andI'lldosomething

forthelittlefellow;it'smyduty;"andshesteppedintothe

water-trough,andbeatherwingsuponthewatersostronglythatthe

birdwasnearlydrownedbyashower-bath;buttheduckmeantit

kindly."Thatisagooddeed,"shesaid;"Ihopetheotherswill

takeexamplebyit."

"Tweet,tweet!

"saidthelittlebird,foroneofhiswingsbeing

broken,hefounditdifficulttoshakehimself;buthequite

understoodthatthebathwasmeantkindly,andhesaid,"Youare

verykind-hearted,madam;"buthedidnotwishforasecondbath.

"Ihaveneverthoughtaboutmyheart,"repliedthePortuguese

duck,"butIknowthatIloveallmyfellow-creatures,exceptthecat,

andnobodycanexpectmetoloveher,forsheateuptwoofmy

ducklings.Butpraymakeyourselfathome;itiseasytomakeone's

selfcomfortable.Iammyselffromaforeigncountry,asyoumaysee

bymyfeatherydress.Mydrakeisanativeoftheseparts;he'snotof

myrace;butIamnotproudonthataccount.Ifanyoneherecan

understandyou,ImaysaypositivelyIamthatperson."

"She'squitefullof'Portulak,'"saidalittlecommonduck,who

waswitty.Allthecommonducksconsideredtheword"Portulak"a

goodjoke,foritsoundedlikePortugal.Theynudgedeachother,and

said,"Quack!

thatwaswitty!

"

Thentheotherducksbegantonoticethelittlebird."The

Portuguesehadcertainlyagreatflowoflanguage,"theysaidtothe

littlebird."Forourpartwedon'tcaretofillourbeakswithsuch

longwords,butwesympathizewithyouquiteasmuch.Ifwedon'tdo

anythingelse,wecanwalkaboutwithyoueverywhere,andwethink

thatisthebestthingwecando."

"Youhavealovelyvoice,"saidoneoftheeldestducks;"it

mustbegreatsatisfactiontoyoutobeabletogivesomuch

pleasureasyoudo.IamcertainlynojudgeofyoursingingsoI

keepmybeakshut,whichisbetterthantalkingnonsense,asothers

do."

"Don'tplaguehimso,interposedthePortugueseduck;"herequires

restandnursing.Mylittlesinging-birddoyouwishmetoprepare

anotherbathforyou?

"

"Oh,no!

no!

prayletmedry,"imploredthelittlebird.

"Thewater-cureistheonlyremedyforme,whenIamnotwell,"

saidthePortuguese."Amusement,too,isverybeneficial.Thefowls

fromtheneighborhoodwillsoonbeheretopayyouavisit.There

aretwoCochinChineseamongstthem;theywearfeathersontheirlegs,

andarewelleducated.Theyhavebeenbroughtfromagreatdistance,

andconsequentlyItreatthemwithgreaterrespectthanIdothe

others."

Thenthefowlsarrived,andthecockwaspoliteenoughto-dayto

keepfrombeingrude."Youarearealsongster,"hesaid,"youdoas

muchwithyourlittlevoiceasitispossibletodo;butthere

requiresmorenoiseandshrillnessinanyonewhowishesittobe

knownwhoheis."

ThetwoChinesewerequiteenchantedwiththeappearanceofthe

singing-bird.Hisfeathershadbeenmuchruffledbyhisbath,so

thatheseemedtothemquitelikeatinyChinesefowl."He's

charming,"theysaidtoeachother,andbeganaconversationwith

himinwhispers,usingthemostaristocraticChinesedialect:

"We

areofthesameraceasyourself,"theysaid."Theducks,eventhe

Portuguese,areallaquaticbirds,asyoumusthavenoticed.Youdo

notknowusyet,-veryfewknowus,orgivethemselvesthetrouble

tomakeouracquaintance,notevenanyofthefowls,thoughweare

borntooccupyahighergradeinsocietythanmostofthem.Butthat

doesnotdisturbus,wequietlygooninourownwayamongtherest,

whoseideasarecertainlynotours;forwelookatthebrightside

ofthings,andonlyspeakwhatisgood,althoughthatissometimes

verydifficulttofindwherenoneexists.Exceptourselvesandthe

cockthereisnotoneintheyardwhocanbecalledtalentedor

polite.Itcannotevenbesaidoftheducks,andwewarnyou,little

bird,nottotrustthatoneyonder,withtheshorttailfeathers,

forsheiscunning;thatcuriouslymarkedone,withthecrooked

stripesonherwings,isamischief-maker,andneverletsanyonehave

thelastword,thoughsheisalwaysinthewrong.Thatfatduckyonder

speaksevilofeveryone,andthatisagainstourprinciples.Ifwe

havenothinggoodtotell,wecloseourbeaks.ThePortugueseisthe

onlyonewhohashadanyeducation,andwithwhomwecanassociate,

butsheispassionate,andtalkstoomuchabout'Portugal.'"

"IwonderwhatthosetwoChinesearewhisperingabout,"

whisperedoneducktoanother;"theyarealwaysdoingit,andit

annoysme.Weneverspeaktothem."

Nowthedrakecameup,andhethoughtthelittlesinging-bird

wasasparrow."Well,Idon'tunderstandthedifference,"hesaid;"it

appearstomeallthesame.He'sonlyaplaything,andifpeople

willhaveplaythings,whyletthem,Isay."

"Don'ttakeanynoticeofwhathesays,"whisperedthePortuguese;

"he'sverywellinmattersofbusiness,andwithhimbusinessis

placedbeforeeverything.ButnowIshallliedownandhavealittle

rest.Itisadutyweowetoourselvesthatwemaybeniceandfat

whenwecometobeembalmedwithsageandonionsandapples."Soshe

laidherselfdowninthesunandwinkedwithoneeye;shehadavery

comfortableplace,andfeltsocomfortablethatshefellasleep.The

littlesinging-birdbusiedhimselfforsometimewithhisbrokenwing,

andatlasthelaydown,too,quiteclosetohisprotectress.The

sunshonewarmandbright,andhefoundoutthatitwasaverygood

place.Butthefowlsoftheneighborhoodwereallawake,and,to

tellthetruth,theyhadpaidavisittotheduckyard,simplyand

solelytofindfoodforthemselves.TheChinesewerethefirstto

leave,andtheotherfowlssoonfollowedthem.

ThewittylittleducksaidofthePortuguese,thattheoldlady

wasgettingquitea"dotingducky,"Alltheotherduckslaughedat

this."Dotingducky,"theywhispered."Oh,that'stoo'witty!

'"And

thentheyrepeatedtheformerjokeabout"Portulak,"anddeclaredit

wasmostamusing.Thentheyalllaydowntohaveanap.

Theyhadbeenlyingasleepforsometime,whensuddenly

somethingwasthrownintotheyardforthemtoeat.Itcamedown

withsuchabang,thatthewholecompanystartedupandclapped

theirwings.ThePortugueseawoketoo,andrushedovertotheother

side:

insodoingshetroduponthelittlesinging-bird.

"Tweet,"hecried;"youtrodveryharduponme,madam."

"Well,then,whydoyoulieinmyway?

"sheretorted,"youmust

notbesotouchy.Ihavenervesofmyown,butIdonotcry'tweet.'"

"Don'tbeangry,"saidthelittlebird;"the'tweet'slippedout

ofmybeakunawares."

ThePortuguesedidnotlistentohim,butbeganeatingasfast

asshecould,andmadeagoodmeal.Whenshehadfinished,shelay

downagain,andthelittlebird,whowishedtobeamiable,beganto

sing,-

"Chirpandtwitter,

Thedew-dropsglitter,

Inthehoursofsunnyspring,

I'llsingmybest,

TillIgotorest,

Withmyheadbehindmywing."

"NowIwantrestaftermydinner,"saidthePortuguese;"you

mustconformtotherulesofthehousewhileyouarehere.Iwantto

sleepnow."

Thelittlebirdwasquitetakenaback,forhemeantitkindly.

Whenmadamawokeafterwards,therehestoodbeforeherwithalittle

cornhehadfound,andlaiditatherfeet;butasshehadnotslept

well,shewasnaturallyinabadtemper."Givethattoachicken,"she

said,"anddon'tbealwaysstandinginmyway."

"Whyareyouangrywithme?

"repliedthelittlesinging-bird,

"whathaveIdone?

"

"Done!

"repeatedthePortugueseduck,"yourmodeofexpressing

yourselfisnotverypolite.Imustcallyourattentiontothatfact."

"Itwassunshinehereyesterday,"saidthelittlebir