Mother duck had two little baby ducklings. Every day mother duck took her baby ducklings to the river. She said to them, “Babies, stay near me. Do not go far from me. If you go far, the fox will eat you up.”
Every day the fox saw the baby ducklings. He wanted to eat them. But mother duck was big and strong. The fox was afraid of her.
One day mother duck and the baby ducklings went to the river. The fox saw them. He was hungry. He said, “Today I shall eat the baby ducklings.”
The fox too went to the river. He hid behind a bush. He thought, “When mother duck goes away, I shall eat the baby ducklings.”
The baby ducklings liked to swim. They had a jolly time in the river. Then they said, “Mother, we are hungry. We want some frogs to eat.”
Mother duck said, “I shall go and catch some frogs. Wait for me. Do not go out of the water, or the fox will catch you.”
“Very well, mother,” said the baby ducklings.
Mother duck went away to catch frogs. The fox saw her go. “The baby ducklings are all alone,” he said. “Now I shall eat them.”
The baby ducklings were in the water. The fox wanted to catch them. But he did not like to go into the water.
The fox said, “Babies, come out of the water. I shall give you frogs to eat.”
The baby ducklings said, “Mother told us not to come out of the water. So we shall stay here.”
The fox was very angry. Then he saw a log of wood in the river. “Oh, I shall jump on the log,” he said to himself. -when the log goes near the ducklings, I shall catch them.”
The fox jumped on the log. The log floated down the river. But it did not go near the baby ducklings. It took the fox far, far away. The baby ducklings were now safe.
When mother duck came back the ducklings said, “Mother, the fox wanted to catch us. He called us. But we did not get out of the water. Mother, the stupid fox jumped on a log to catch us. But the log took him far, far away down the river.”
Mother duck was very happy. She said, “I am glad the naughty fox is gone. He will not come now. Quack-quack ! Quack-quack !”
“Quack-quack !” said the baby ducklings. “Have you got the frogs, mother ?”
“Yes, babies,” said mother duck. She gave the babies lots of frogs to eat. The baby ducklings were very happy.