BETWEEN THE DUCK AND THE PEACOCK

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19840, 14 May 1927, Page 22 (Supplement)

BETWEEN THE DUCK AND THE PEACOCK

There was once a very celebrated magician who could do anything except change ducks into peacocks, and he always hoped that nobody would ever ask him to do this. Of course nobody knew that he could not do it, and it seemed unlikely that anyone would require him to work such silly magic. One day he was invited to the King’s palace, and before the knights and all the Court, he performed the most wonderful magic. He did such amazing things, indeed, that the King began to feel nervous. What was to prevent the magician from making himself king, or carrying off the beautiful Princess to some distant land? “Let us walk in the grounds,” said the King hastily. Now on the pond there were many ducks and they quacked so much that the Princess could not hear what the magician was saying. “Magician.” she begged, “please turn these ducks into peacocks. 1 have always longed to keep peacocks.” The magician trembled and pretended he had not heard. He also made the ducks quack louder than ever, but the Princess repeated her request. “Peacocks have uglier voices than ducks/’ said the magician. “You will regret your ducks. Princess.” “Never!” cried the Princess. “Oh, magician, turn them slowly so that I may see them change.” The magician was cold with horror, but he cast a spell on the ducks and they began to change. Their necks grew longer, and so did their legs; then they got bigger. “They’re changing!” cried the Princess. “Now you have broken the spell!” said the magician. “They will stay for ever just as they are.” And the Princess called these new birds geese!