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He seemed to think that both of them had the same love for him that he had for them. One day, when Jarro and Caesar lay on the usual spot before the fire, Clawina sat on the hearth and began to tease the wild duck. "I wonder, Jarro, what you wild ducks will do next year, when Takern is drained and turned into grain fields?" said Clawina.
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!
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!" Then Caesar sprang up with such a sudden outburst at Clawina that she had to save herself by jumping up on a shelf.
"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.
She did him no harm, either, but he couldn't place any confidence in her. Then, too, she quarrelled with him constantly, because he loved human beings. "You think they protect you because they are fond of you," said Clawina. "You just wait until you are fat enough! Then they'll wring the neck off you. I know them, I do."
"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!
He wished that he were well, so he could fly down to Takern and tell the wild ducks that their enemies were not dangerous, and that they need not fear them. He had observed that the human beings, as well as Caesar, had calm eyes, which it did one good to look into. The only one in the cottage whose glance he did not care to meet, was Clawina, the house cat.
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.
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