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THE OSTRICH.
49
people call us gluttons, because of the stones,
bits of iron, and other heavy things which we
devour and store in a special portion of our
trunk; they don’t understand that a little skiff
must have some ballast to keep it steady
when skimming along the desert ocean."
" But how did you become a dowager ? "
"’Tis a sad story, though common enough
in our land, where constant war and strife are
carried on. I had been wedded to my
handsome ostrich lord since the previous autumn,
and I lived a happy and peaceful life, together
with my four sisterly companions, his other
mates. We had scooped out a nest in the
sand, with a small wall around it, and a tiny
trench to let off the water; and we had laid
six eggs each, and placed them on end, to save
room, so that one lady-hen could cover them
all when performing the duty of incubation, at
which we all took our turn. I only wish I had
the shell of one of my eggs here to make you
a present of; they make very excellent
drinking cups or flower-vases, and can be worked
almost like ivory; but, alack-a-day! they have
deprived me of everything! We deposited a
good number of spare eggs outside the wall in
£
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