第8章 THE SWAN 天鹅

The tame swan is a very gentle bird. It likes to swim on streams and ponds. When it is young it is gray, and not at all a pretty bird; but when it is full-grown it is as white as snow.

Look at the swan in the picture. See how graceful it is as it sails along.

Among the bushes and high grass near the water the swan builds its nest. It is made of dry sticks or rushes, and is placed on the ground. Here the swan lays its eggs.

As soon as the young ones are hatched, away the little creatures run to the water ! They need no school and no teaching, they can swim at once, as well as the old birds.

Did you ever see the feet of a swan? They are made for swimming. All birds that love the water, and swim in it, have web-feet. Swans have web-feet, and so have ducks, and a number of other birds.

They can all swim well; but hens and chickens and sparrows cannot swim at all, for they have not web-feet like the swan and the duck.

The swan has a long neck; and by means of it, it can reach its food without diving as ducks do. The swan feeds on the seeds, leaves, and roots of water-plants.

Questions

What colour is the swan when it is young? What colour is it when it is full-grown? Where does it build its nest? What is the nest made of? What do the young swans do, as soon as they are hatched? What kind of feet has the swan? What other bird has the same kind of feet? Of what use is the swan's long neck? What does it feed on?

Pronunciation

Gen'-tle a-mong' crea'-tures num'-ber spar'-rows

pret'-ty bush'-es teach'-ing oth'-er can'-not

pic'-ture rosh'-es swim'-ming chick'-ens in'-sects

Write

grown sticks ground leaves

streams builds hatched school

天鹅是一种非常温顺的鸟类。它喜欢在小溪以及池塘里游来游去。小的时候天鹅是灰色的，不是非常漂亮的鸟；但是当它长大了，它就像雪一样白。

看图片中的天鹅，它游走时多么优雅。

天鹅在水塘附近的灌木丛高草中筑巢。巢是由于木棍或者干灯芯草直接在地上建成的。天鹅在这里产卵。

小天鹅一经孵出，这小东西就跑向水边。它们不需要上学，不需要别人教，它们可以像成年鸟儿一样立刻下水。

你曾经见过天鹅的脚吗？它们就是用来游泳的。凡是喜欢水，在水里游泳的鸟类都有蹼。天鹅有蹼，鸭子也有，许多其他鸟类都有。

它们也可以游泳，但是母鸡、小鸡以及麻雀都不会游泳，因为它们都没有像天鹅以及鸭子那样的蹼。

天鹅有长长的脖子。借助它，天鹅可以不用像鸭子那样潜水就可以得到食物。天鹅主要吃种子、树叶以及水草植物的根。