"Wife," said he, "it is now time to
take the children southward, to the
Warm Countries which they have never
yet seen!"

Very early the next morning they set
out on their long journey, forming a
great "V" against the sky in their flight.
The mother led her flock and the
father brought up the rear, keeping
a sharp lookout for stragglers.

All day they flew high in the keen
air, over wide prairies and great
forests of northern pine, until toward
evening they saw below them a chain of
lakes, glittering like a string of
dark-blue stones.

Swinging round in a half circle, they
dropped lower and lower, ready to
alight and rest upon the smooth
surface of the nearest lake.

Suddenly their leader heard a whizzing
sound like that of a bullet as it cuts
the air, and she quickly gave the
warning: "Honk! honk! Danger, danger!"
All descended in dizzy spirals, but
as the great Falcon swooped toward
them with upraised wing, the ducklings
scattered wildly hither and thither.
The old Drake came last, and it was
he who was struck!

"Honk, honk!" cried all the Ducks
in terror, and for a minute the air
was full of soft downy feathers like
flakes of snow. But the force of the
blow was lost upon the well-cushioned
body of the Drake, who soon got over
his fright and went on his way
southward with his family, while the
Falcon dropped heavily to the water's
edge with a broken wing.

There he stayed and hunted mice as
best he could from day to day,
sleeping at night in a hollow log
to be out of the way of the Fox and
the Weasel. All the wit he had was
not too much whereby to keep
himself alive through the long, hard
winter.

Toward spring, however, the Falcon's
wing had healed and he could fly a
little, though feebly. The sun rose
higher and higher in the blue heavens,
and the Ducks began to return to
their cool northern home.

Every day a flock or two flew over
the lake; but the Falcon dared not
charge upon the flocks, much as he
wished to do so. He was weak with
hunger, and afraid to trust the strength
of the broken wing.

One fine day a chattering flock of
Mallards alighted quite near him,
cooling their glossy breasts upon the
gently rippling wave.

"Here, children," boasted an old Drake,
"is the very spot where your father was
charged upon last autumn by a cruel
Falcon! I can tell you that it took all
my skill and quickness in dodging to
save my life. Best of all, our fierce
enemy dropped to the ground with a
broken wing! Doubtless he is long
since dead of starvation, or else a Fox
or a Mink has made a meal of the
wicked creature! "

By these words the Falcon knew his old
enemy, and his courage returned.

"Nevertheless, I am still here!" he
exclaimed, and darted like a flash upon
the unsuspecting old Drake, who was
resting and telling of his exploit and
narrow escape with the greatest pride
and satisfaction.

"Honk! honk! " screamed all the Ducks,
and they scattered and whirled upward
like the dead leaves in autumn; but the
Falcon with sure aim selected the old
Drake and gave swift chase. Round and
round in dizzy spirals they swung
together, till with a quick spurt the
Falcon struck the shining, outstretched
neck of the other, and snapped it with
one powerful blow of his reunited wing.

Do not exult too soon; nor is it wise
to tell of your brave deeds within the
hearing of your enemy.