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Die Kinder
wollten mit ihm spielen; aber das Entlein
glaubte, sie wollten ihm etwas zuleide tun,
und fuhr in der Angst gerade in den Milchnapf
hinein, so daß die Milch in die Stube
spritzte. Die Frau schlug die Hände
zusammen, worauf es in das Butterfaß,
dann hinunter in die Mehltonne und wieder
herausflog. Wie sah es da aus! Die Frau
schrie und schlug mit der Feuerzange danach;
die Kinder rannten einander über den
Haufen, um das Entlein zu fangen; sie lachten
und schrien; gut war es, daß die Tür
offenstand und es zwischen die Reiser in
den frischgefallenen Schnee schlüpfen
konnte; dort lag es ganz ermattet. Aber
all die Not und das Elend, welches das Entlein
in dem harten Winter erdulden mußte,
zu erzählen, würde zu trübe
sein. Es lag im Moor zwischen dem Schild,
als die Sonne wieder warm zu scheinen begann.
Die Lerchen sangen; es war herrlicher Frühling.
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But when the children wanted to play with him, the duckling thought they would do him some harm; so he started up in terror, fluttered into the milk-pan, and splashed the milk about the room. Then the woman clapped her hands, which frightened him still more. He flew first into the butter-cask, then into the meal-tub, and out again. What a condition he was in! The woman screamed, and struck at him with the tongs; the children laughed and screamed, and tumbled over each other, in their efforts to catch him; but luckily he escaped. The door stood open; the poor creature could just manage to slip out among the bushes, and lie down quite exhausted in the newly fallen snow. It would be very sad, were I to relate all the misery and privations which the poor little duckling endured during the hard winter; but when it had passed, he found himself lying one morning in a moor, amongst the rushes. He felt the warm sun shining, and heard the lark singing, and saw that all around was beautiful spring. |
