You ca n't think how delicious it is to put your head under the water and dive straight to the bottom . ' ' I do n't think I should enjoy it , ' replied the hen doubtfully . ` And I do n't think the cat would like it either . ' And the cat , when asked , agreed there was nothing she would hate so much . ' I ca n't stay here any longer , I Must get to the water , ' repeated the duck . And the cat and the hen , who felt hurt and offended , answered shortly : ` Very well then , go . ' The duckling would have liked to say good-bye , and thank them for their kindness , as he was polite by nature ; but they had both turned their backs on him , so he went out of the rickety door feeling rather sad . But , in spite of himself , he could not help a thrill of joy when he was out in the air and water once more , and cared little for the rude glances of the creatures he met . For a while he was quite happy and content ; but soon the winter came on , and snow began to fall , and everything to grow very wet and uncomfortable . And the duckling soon found that it is one thing to enjoy being in the water , and quite another to like being damp on land . The sun was setting one day , like a great scarlet globe , and the river , to the duckling 's vast bewilderment , was getting hard and slippery , when he heard a sound of whirring wings , and high up in the air a flock of swans were flying . They were as white as snow which had fallen during the night , and their long necks with yellow bills were stretched southwards , for they were going -- they did not quite know whither -- but to a land where the sun shone all day . Oh , if he only could have gone with them ! But that was not possible , of course ; and besides , what sort of companion could an ugly thing like him be to those beautiful beings ? So he walked sadly down to a sheltered pool and dived to the very bottom , and tried to think it was the greatest happiness he could dream of . But , all the same , he knew it was n't ! And every morning it grew colder and colder , and the duckling had hard work to keep himself warm . Indeed , it would be truer to say that he never was warm at all ; and at last , after one bitter night , his legs moved so slowly that the ice crept closer and closer , and when the morning light broke he was caught fast , as in a trap ; and soon his senses went from him . A few hours more and the poor duckling 's life had been ended . But , by good fortune , a man was crossing the river on his way to his work , and saw in a moment what had happened .
He had on thick wooden shoes , and he went and stamped so hard XXXXX the ice that it broke , and then he picked up the duckling and tucked him under his sheepskin coat , where his frozen bones began to thaw a little .
For So as besides during in of on under with