WHY THE DUCKS DIED.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XI, Issue 43, 28 October 1893, Page 359

WHY THE DUCKS DIED.

The author of * Sketches of Native Lite ’ says that most European residents of India keep large poultry yards. He followed the general custom, but for some time found it very unprofitable. His first brood of ducks dies! one after another in a most orderly manner, one at a time, at intervals of twenty-four hours. The sweeper who took care of them assured us that he could cure them if we would give him two anna's worth of garlic, black pepper and chillies. The cure was certainly worth the money, and we gave it to him accordingly ; but, alas I it was spent in vain—the ducks continued to die. We were new to the country, and equally new to the raising of ducks. We had no suspicion of the cause of the excessive mortality ; but at last we received a visit from a friend.

We mentioned the extraordinary fataiity to which our ducks were subject, and asked him if he could suggest a cure. Our innocence was greeted with a peal of laughter. ‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘I can. Call the sweeper, and tell him that for every duck that dies from this date he will have to pay four annas.’ We did so ; not another duck died. The truth was that the sweeper had been killing the ducks for his own use, and relying on our ignorance, had been so audacious as to ask, in the name of medicine, for money to buy condiments for seasoning.