The Duck

 The Duck by E. L. M. King

If I were in a fairy tale,
And it were my good luck
To have a wish, I'd choose to be
A lovely snow-white duck.

When she puts off into the pond
And leaves me on the brink,
She wags her stumpy tail at me,
And gives a saucy wink,

Which says as plain as words could say,
Fm safe as safe can be,
Stay there, or you will drown yourself.
The pond was made for me.

She goes assailing to and fro,
Just like a fishing boat,
And steers and paddles all herself,
And never wets her coat.

Then in the water, upside down,
I've often seen her stand
More neatly than the little boys
Who do it on the land.

And best of all, her children are
The ducklings, bright as gold,
Who swim about the pond with her
And do as they are told.

Eider Duck

       The eider duck is a species of duck found both in America and Europe. The birds abound in Norway and Iceland, where their favorite haunts are solitary rocky shores and small islands. The eider duck is about twice the size of the common duck. The male is for the most part black, but has a white back and head, with a black crown. The female is reddish, and spotted with black, and has two white bands on the wings. The nests are usually formed of drift grass and dry seaweed and are lined with down, which the female plucks from her breast. Eider down because of its warmth and lightness was in great demand many years ago for beds and coverlets. One female produces about half a pound of down.

More About Eider Ducks from The Web:

• Nesting Eider Ducks on The Coast of Iceland
• The Unusual Markings of Male Edier Ducks 
• Royal bird visit "King Eider Somateria Spectabilis Praktejder