ThePortugueseDuckbyHansChristianAndersen（1861）ADUCKoncearrivedfromPortugal，butthereweresomewhosaidshecamefromSpain，whichisalmostthesamething.Atallevents，shewascalledthe“Portuguese，”andshelaideggs，waskilled，andcooked，andtherewasanendofher.Buttheducklingswhichcreptforthfromtheeggswerealsocalled“Portuguese，”andaboutthattheremaybesomequestion.Butofallthefamilyoneonlyremainedintheduckyard，whichmaybecalledafarmyard，asthechickenswereadmitted，andthecockstruttedaboutinaveryhostilemanner. “Heannoysmewithhisloudcrowing，”saidthePortugueseduck； “but，still，hesahandsomebird，theresnodenyingthat，althoughhesnotadrake.Heoughttomoderatehisvoice，likethoselittlebirdswhoaresinginginthelime-treesoverthereinourneighborsgarden，butthatisanartonlyacquiredinpolitesociety.Howsweetlytheysingthere；itisquiteapleasuretolistentothem！IcallitPortuguesesinging.IfIhadonlysuchalittlesinging-bird，Idbekindandgoodasamothertohim，foritsinmynature，inmyPortugueseblood.”Whileshewasspeaking，oneofthelittlesinging-birdscametumblingheadoverheelsfromtheroofintotheyard.Thecatwasafterhim，buthehadescapedfromherwithabrokenwing，andsocametumblingintotheyard. “Thatsjustlikethecat，shesavillain，”saidthePortugueseduck. “IrememberherwayswhenIhadchildrenofmyown.Howcansuchacreaturebeallowedtolive，andwanderaboutupontheroofs.IdontthinktheyallowsuchthingsinPortugal.”Shepitiedthelittlesinging-bird，andsodidalltheotherduckswhowerenotPortuguese.“Poorlittlecreature！”theysaid，oneafteranother，astheycameup. “Wecantsing，certainly；butwehaveasounding-board，orsomethingofthekind，withinus；wecanfeelthat，thoughwedonttalkaboutit.”“ButIcantalk，”saidthePortugueseduck； “andIlldosomethingforthelittlefellow；itsmyduty；”andshesteppedintothewater-trough，andbeatherwingsuponthewatersostronglythatthebirdwasnearlydrownedbyashower-bath；buttheduckmeantitkindly. “Thatisagooddeed，”shesaid； “Ihopetheotherswilltakeexamplebyit.”“Tweet，tweet！”saidthelittlebird，foroneofhiswingsbeingbroken，hefounditdifficulttoshakehimself；buthequiteunderstoodthatthebathwasmeantkindly，andhesaid， “Youareverykind-hearted，madam；”buthedidnotwishforasecondbath.“Ihaveneverthoughtaboutmyheart，”repliedthePortugueseduck， “butIknowthatIloveallmyfellow-creatures，exceptthecat，andnobodycanexpectmetoloveher，forsheateuptwoofmyducklings.Butpraymakeyourselfathome；itiseasytomakeonesselfcomfortable.Iammyselffromaforeigncountry，asyoumayseebymyfeatherydress.Mydrakeisanativeoftheseparts；hesnotofmyrace；butIamnotproudonthataccount.Ifanyoneherecanunderstandyou，ImaysaypositivelyIamthatperson.”“ShesquitefullofPortulak，”saidalittlecommonduck，whowaswitty.Allthecommonducksconsideredtheword“Portulak”agoodjoke，foritsoundedlikePortugal.Theynudgedeachother，andsaid， “Quack！thatwaswitty！”thentheotherducksbegantonoticethelittlebird. “ThePortuguesehadcertainlyaGREatflowoflanguage，”theysaidtothelittlebird. “Forourpartwedontcaretofillourbeakswithsuchlongwords，butwesympathizewithyouquiteasmuch.Ifwedontdoanythingelse，wecanwalkaboutwithyoueverywhere，andwethinkthatisthebestthingwecando.”“Youhavealovelyvoice，”saidoneoftheeldestducks； “itmustbeGREatsatisfactiontoyoutobeabletogivesomuchpleasureasyoudo.IamcertainlynojudgeofyoursingingsoIkeepmybeakshut，whichisbetterthantalkingnonsense，asothersdo.”“Dontplaguehimso，”interposedthePortugueseduck； “herequiresrestandnursing.Mylittlesinging-birddoyouwishmetoprepareanotherbathforyou？”“Oh，no！no！prayletmedry，”imploredthelittlebird.“thewater-cureistheonlyremedyforme，whenIamnotwell，”saidthePortuguese. “Amusement，too，isverybeneficial.Thefowlsfromtheneighborhoodwillsoonbeheretopayyouavisit.TherearetwoCochinChineseamongstthem；theywearfeathersontheirlegs，andarewelleducated.TheyhavebeenbroughtfromaGREatdistance，andconsequentlyItreatthemwithgreaterrespectthanIdotheothers.”thenthefowlsarrived，andthecockwaspoliteenoughto-daytokeepfrombeingrude. “Youarearealsongster，”hesaid， “youdoasmuchwithyourlittlevoiceasitispossibletodo；butthererequiresmorenoiseandshrillnessinanyonewhowishesittobeknownwhoheis.”thetwoChinesewerequiteenchantedwiththeappearanceofthesinging-bird.Hisfeathershadbeenmuchruffledbyhisbath，sothatheseemedtothemquitelikeatinyChinese