陽光明媚的地方，坐落著一座宜人的老農舍，緊鄰一條深深的河流。從農舍一直到河邊，長滿了高大的牛蒡葉，最高的牛蒡葉下，可以讓一個小孩站直身體。這地方如同茂密森林的中心，原始而靜謐。一隻鴨子棲息在這片幽靜的角落，守候著雛鳥破殼而出。牠開始感到有些疲憊，因為小傢伙們遲遲不肯破殼而出，而她也很少遇到來訪者。

In a sunny spot stood a pleasant old farm-house close by a deep river, and from the house down to the water side grew great burdock leaves, so high, that under the tallest of them a little child could stand upright. The spot was as wild as the centre of a thick wood. In this snug retreat sat a duck on her nest, watching for her young brood to hatch; she was beginning to get tired of her task, for the little ones were a long time coming out of their shells, and she seldom had any visitors.

Source: Tatoeba