“I wonder, Jarro, what you wild ducks will do next year, when Takern is drained and turned into grain fields?” said Clawina.  “What’s that you say, Clawina?” cried Jarro, and jumped up—­scared through and through.  “I always forget, Jarro, that you do not understand human speech, like Caesar and myself,” answered the cat.  “Or else you surely would have heard how the men, who were here in the cottage yesterday, said that all the water was going to be drained from Takern, and that next year the lake-bottom would be as dry as a house-floor.  And now I wonder where you wild ducks will go.”  When Jarro heard this talk he was so furious that he hissed like a snake.  “You are just as mean as a common coot!” he screamed at Clawina.  “You only want to incite me against human beings.  I don’t believe they want to do anything of the sort.  They must know that Takern is the wild ducks’ property.  Why should they make so many birds homeless and unhappy?  You have certainly hit upon all this to scare me.  I hope that you may be torn in pieces by Gorgo, the eagle!  I hope that my mistress will chop off your whiskers!”

But Jarro couldn’t shut Clawina up with this outburst.  “So you think I’m lying,” said she.  “Ask Caesar, then!  He was also in the house last night.  Caesar never lies.”

“Caesar,” said Jarro, “you understand human speech much better than Clawina.  Say that she hasn’t heard aright!  Think how it would be if the people drained Takern, and changed the lake-bottom into fields!  Then there would be no more pondweed or duck-food for the grown wild ducks, and no blackfish or worms or gnat-eggs for the ducklings.  Then the reed-banks would disappear—­where now the ducklings conceal themselves until they are able to fly.  All ducks would be compelled to move away from here and seek another home.  But where shall they find a retreat like Takern?  Caesar, say that Clawina has not heard aright!”

It was extraordinary to watch Caesar’s behaviour during this conversation.  He had been wide-awake the whole time before, but now, when Jarro turned to him, he panted, laid his long nose on his forepaws, and was sound asleep within the wink of an eyelid.

The cat looked down at Caesar with a knowing smile.  “I believe that Caesar doesn’t care to answer you,” she said to Jarro.  “It is with him as with all dogs; they will never acknowledge that humans can do any wrong.  But you can rely upon my word, at any rate.  I shall tell you why they wish to drain the lake just now.  As long as you wild ducks still had the power on Takern, they did not wish to drain it, for, at least, they got some good out of you; but now, grebes and coots and other birds who are no good as food, have infested nearly all the reed-banks, and the people don’t think they need let the lake remain on their account.”

Jarro didn’t trouble himself to answer Clawina, but raised his head, and shouted in Caesar’s ear:  “Caesar!  You know that on Takern there are still so many ducks left that they fill the air like clouds.  Say it isn’t true that human beings intend to make all of these homeless!”