Once upon a time tliere was a duck who lived in
Africa. She was an English duck and her name was
Miranda. Her one wish was to come to England and play with
the girls and boys who lived there. So she said good-bye
to all her friends: to the lions and tigers and monkeys but
not to the crocodiles. She hated crocodiles. She felt sad to
leave her friends, but she flew away bravely. For miles 2
there was nothing but forest; then she saw the sea.
Then she came to Italy. She could see children at the
sea-side, they were playing with the sand. The mothers and
fathers were sitting and doing nothing at all, and Miranda
thought it was so silly. Then she came to some mountains and had to fly high to get over them. The air grew colder
and colder; snow began to fall. She heard the sound o!
singing. It was coming nearer and nearer and Miranda
recognized a popular French song.
Out of the mist flew a whole flock of French swallows,
it was flying south to Italy. As they passed they ah
dipped their wings in s a lute .1 And Miranda dipped hers.
She was getting very tired and hungry. The snow fell
faster and faster. She couldn’t see a yard 2 in front of her
and flew on blinded by the snow, frozen with the cold.
And all the time she thought of summer days on English
ponds and of the children she was going to meet and play
with. Her beak was always pointing towards London. She
flew on for hours like this. The wind and the snow suddenly ceased. Above her she could see the stars, and
below the bright lights of a big town. It was London.
She flew down and landed on a pond near anlnn.
There was a little island in the middle of the pond, wilii
an empty nest on it, just as i f 3 it was made for her. She
was pleased. She ate some pond grass and got in the nesl
and was just going to sleep when she heard someone
shouting, “Miranda Duck! Miranda Duck!”
“Неге I am!” she said, and jumping out of the nest
she swam to the bank of the pond, and there was a messenger boy. “Telegram for you,” said the boy, “sign here,
please!” Miranda signed. Then /with the telegram in her
beak she swam back to her nest.
Oh! she was happy. She opened it. It was from the
girls and boys in Africa, and in it was written:
Miranda, Miranda, Miranda Duck,
Here is a message to wish you good luck;
From the children of Africa, oh Ducky dear, do
Look after yourself, 4 we’re thinking of you. V
The lights went out at the inn across the road. She
could hear the people saying good night to each other.
Then all was quiet. She put the telegram under one wing
and her head under the other, and went to sleep.