Drakestail is a little duck with a sharp mind and a talent for managing money. After starting with nothing, he saves a hundred crowns and lends the money to a king who is famous for spending recklessly. When the king fails to repay the debt, Drakestail decides to visit the royal palace and demand what he is owed.
On the journey, he meets several unusual companions who agree to travel with him. Each possesses a remarkable ability that proves useful when the king refuses to honour his promise. What begins as a simple attempt to recover a debt soon becomes an extraordinary adventure involving a fox, a ladder, a river, and a nest of wasps.
The Little Duck and the King’s Debt
Once upon a time, there lived a little duck called Drakestail. He was very small, which explained his unusual name, but he possessed good sense and knew how to look after himself.
Drakestail had started life with nothing. Through careful saving and good judgement, however, he managed to accumulate a hundred crowns.
The king of the country was very different. He was extravagant and spent money without thinking about the future. Although he enjoyed the privileges of royalty, he never seemed able to keep hold of his wealth.
When the king heard that Drakestail had saved a considerable sum, he decided to borrow it. Drakestail felt proud that the king himself had come to him for a loan, and he willingly handed over his savings.
At first, Drakestail expected the king to repay the money as promised. Yet a year passed, followed by another, and the king showed no sign of returning the debt. He did not even seem interested in paying the interest.
Drakestail gradually became worried. His savings had taken considerable effort to accumulate, and he could not afford to lose them simply because the borrower wore a crown.
At last, he decided to visit the king in person and demand repayment.
One fine morning, Drakestail set off on his journey. He was neatly dressed and full of determination. As he travelled along the road, he sang:
“Quack, quack, quack, when shall I get my money back?”
He repeated the question as he went, determined not to let the king forget his obligation.
The Fox Joins the Journey
Drakestail had not travelled very far when he met his friend Fox.
Fox greeted him and asked where he was going so early in the morning.
“I am going to the king to collect what he owes me,” Drakestail explained.
Fox immediately asked if he could accompany him.
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Drakestail considered the request. He thought that a traveller could never have too many friends, and he agreed to take Fox along.
There was only one difficulty. Fox would soon become tired if he had to travel the whole distance on his four legs.
Drakestail came up with an unusual solution. He invited Fox to make himself small and climb into his throat, where he could remain safely inside the duck’s gizzard for the journey.
Fox thought this was an excellent idea. He gathered his belongings and climbed inside Drakestail, settling down comfortably beside his new travelling companion.
With Fox safely on board, Drakestail continued along the road, singing his familiar song about recovering the money.
He had no idea how important his unusual passenger would soon become.
The Ladder Offers to Help
A little farther along the road, Drakestail encountered his lady-friend, Ladder.
She greeted him warmly and asked where he was heading.
Drakestail explained that he was on his way to the royal palace to collect the money the king owed him.
Ladder asked whether she might travel with him.
Drakestail welcomed her company. However, he pointed out that her wooden legs would make a long journey tiring.
Once again, he proposed his unusual solution. Ladder could make herself small and climb into his throat, where she would be carried in his gizzard.
Ladder agreed that this was a clever arrangement. She gathered her belongings and joined Fox inside Drakestail.
Although the duck was small, he had now found a way to transport companions who would otherwise have struggled to complete the journey.
He continued towards the capital, singing as cheerfully as before.
His companions did not need to walk beside him, and Drakestail did not have to abandon his purpose to help them. Each friend simply travelled with him in the way he had suggested.
River Becomes the Third Companion
Drakestail soon met another friend, River, who was moving quietly through the sunshine.
River greeted the little duck affectionately and asked where he was going.
Once again, Drakestail explained that he intended to visit the king and demand repayment of his loan.
River asked if she could come along.
Drakestail welcomed her too. He pointed out that River, who seemed to sleep while she walked, would soon become tired if she had to travel the whole way on foot.
He therefore invited her to make herself small and join the other companions inside his gizzard.
River accepted the offer. She gathered her belongings and slipped inside, taking her place between Fox and Ladder.
Drakestail now carried three unusual companions: a fox, a ladder, and a river. Each had agreed to help him reach the king, although none yet knew exactly what difficulties awaited them at the palace.
The little duck continued along the road, singing his question about the money he was owed.
The Wasp’s-Nest Joins Them
Further along the journey, Drakestail encountered his comrade, Wasp’s-nest, who was manoeuvring his wasps.
Wasp’s-nest greeted him and asked where the little duck was going.
Drakestail repeated his explanation. He was travelling to the king to collect the debt that had remained unpaid for two years.
Wasp’s-nest asked if he could join the party.
Drakestail agreed. He pointed out that Wasp’s-nest had a whole battalion of wasps to manage, and the group would soon become tired if they had to travel on foot.
He suggested that Wasp’s-nest and his wasps make themselves small and climb inside his throat.
Wasp’s-nest liked the idea and gathered his entire party. They joined the other companions inside Drakestail’s gizzard.
There was very little room left, but the companions managed to squeeze together.
Now Drakestail carried Fox, Ladder, River, and Wasp’s-nest with his wasps. The little duck had gathered a remarkable group of travellers simply by offering them a way to make the journey easier.
He continued towards the capital, still singing his familiar refrain.
Drakestail Arrives at the Palace
At last, Drakestail reached the capital. He made his way along the main street, attracting the attention of the townspeople.
They were astonished to see such a small duck travelling alone and singing so insistently about money. Nevertheless, Drakestail continued until he arrived at the king’s palace.
He knocked on the door.
The porter looked out through a small opening and asked who was there.
“It is I, Drakestail,” the duck replied. “I wish to speak to the king.”
The porter was surprised by the request. Speaking to the king was not as simple as Drakestail seemed to imagine. His Majesty was having dinner and did not wish to be disturbed.
Drakestail insisted that the king should be informed of his arrival. He told the porter that the king knew perfectly well why he had come.
The porter went inside and delivered the message.
The king was sitting down to dinner with a napkin around his neck and his ministers gathered around him. When he heard that Drakestail had arrived, he began to laugh.
He knew exactly what the duck wanted. Instead of inviting him in and arranging to repay the loan, the king decided to humiliate his creditor.
He ordered the porter to place Drakestail in the poultry yard with the turkeys and chickens.
The porter returned and led the duck away.
Drakestail had expected to be received at court. Instead, he found himself among a flock of birds that had no interest in listening to his complaint.
Fox Defends Drakestail
Drakestail was furious when he realised that the king had sent him to the poultry yard.
He continued singing his question about the money, hoping to force the king to acknowledge his debt. But the turkeys and chickens did not appreciate the unfamiliar duck or his persistent refrain.
They crowded around him and began pecking at him.
Drakestail soon found himself in serious danger. The birds were attacking him from every side, and he feared that he would not escape.
Fortunately, he remembered Fox, who was waiting inside his gizzard.
Drakestail called out to his companion, asking him to come to his aid.
Fox immediately emerged and attacked the hostile poultry. He drove the birds away with such force that within minutes none of them remained alive.
Drakestail was safe once more.
Satisfied that the danger had passed, he resumed singing about the money the king owed him.
The noise soon reached the royal dining room. The king heard Drakestail’s refrain again, and the woman responsible for the poultry told him what had happened in the yard.
The king was furious. His attempt to get rid of the troublesome creditor had failed.
He decided that Drakestail must be dealt with more severely.
Ladder Rescues the Duck from the Well
The king ordered his servants to throw Drakestail into a well, hoping that the deep hole would finally silence him.
The order was carried out, and Drakestail found himself at the bottom of the well.
He was distressed. The walls were too steep for him to climb, and he could not see how he would escape.
Then he remembered Ladder.
Drakestail called to his companion, asking her to come out and help him before his days were over.
Ladder promptly emerged. She placed her arms against the edge of the well, allowing Drakestail to climb up her back.
The little duck scrambled over the rim and returned safely to the yard.
Once again, he began singing his familiar question.
The king was still at dinner when he heard Drakestail’s voice. He could hardly believe that the duck had survived another attempt to get rid of him.
His amusement had turned to anger. He had sent Drakestail into a well, yet the persistent creditor had returned to demand his money.
The king now decided to use fire.
River Puts Out the Furnace
The king commanded that a furnace be heated and that Drakestail be thrown into it.
He had become convinced that the duck must possess magical powers because none of his attempts had succeeded.
The furnace was soon made ready. Drakestail was taken towards it, but this time he did not feel quite so helpless.
He remembered River, his companion who had travelled with him from the beginning.
Drakestail called for River to come out and save him.
River immediately emerged and rushed into the furnace. She flooded it with water, extinguishing the fire and overwhelming the people who had been tending it.
She then flowed into the palace hall, where the water rose to a considerable height.
Drakestail was no longer in danger of being burned. He began to swim through the water, singing his demand for repayment even more loudly than before.
The king was still at dinner. When he learned that the furnace had been put out and the palace flooded, his anger reached its height.
The little duck had survived the poultry yard, escaped the well, and defeated the furnace.
The king ordered his servants to bring Drakestail before him. This time, he intended to cut the duck’s throat himself.
Wasp’s-Nest Turns the Tables
Two footmen hurried to fetch Drakestail.
The duck assumed that the king had finally decided to receive him properly. He climbed the great staircase, hoping that the meeting might at last result in repayment.
But when he entered the royal hall, he saw the king standing in fury. The ministers were gathered around their ruler, holding their swords.
Drakestail was terrified. It seemed that this time he would not escape.
Then he remembered his final companion.
He called for Wasp’s-nest, asking him to come out and save him.
Wasp’s-nest immediately emerged with his entire army of wasps. They rushed at the king and his ministers, stinging their faces so fiercely that the men lost control of themselves.
Unable to endure the attack, the king and his ministers ran towards the windows and leapt out in panic. They fell to the pavement and died.
Drakestail stood alone in the great hall. The danger had passed, and the king who had refused to repay him could no longer threaten him.
For a moment, the little duck could scarcely believe what had happened.
Then he remembered why he had come to the palace in the first place.
He had travelled a long distance to recover his hundred crowns, and he was determined not to leave without looking for them.
A New King Takes the Throne
Drakestail searched the palace for his money. He looked through the drawers and rooms, hoping to find the crowns that the king had borrowed.
But his search was unsuccessful. The money had all been spent.
Drakestail had survived the king’s cruel attempts to silence him, yet he could not recover the savings he had originally lent.
Eventually, he entered the room where the royal throne stood. Exhausted by the journey and the extraordinary events at the palace, he sat down on the throne to think.
Meanwhile, the people of the kingdom had discovered what had happened to the king and his ministers. They entered the palace and made their way into the throne room.
When they saw Drakestail sitting on the royal seat, they were astonished.
Then they began to shout that the king was dead and that a new king should reign.
Some people wondered whether a little duck could truly make a worthy ruler. Others argued that Drakestail, who had shown good judgement in managing his money, was more deserving of the crown than the extravagant king who had wasted his wealth.
The people agreed that Drakestail should become their new ruler.
They took the crown from the dead king and placed it upon Drakestail’s head. The crown fitted him perfectly.
Thus, the little duck who had begun with nothing and saved a hundred crowns became king.
After the ceremony, Drakestail announced that it was time for supper. He had endured a long journey, faced repeated dangers, and reached the end of his adventure.
Although he never recovered the money he had lent, he gained a kingdom instead.
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Moral Lesson
Drakestail celebrates resourcefulness, persistence, and the value of friendship. The little duck refuses to abandon his rightful claim, even when the king repeatedly tries to silence him.
His companions also demonstrate the importance of mutual help. Fox, Ladder, River, and Wasp’s-nest each contribute a different ability, and their combined efforts allow Drakestail to survive dangers he could never have overcome alone.
The story also criticises irresponsible leadership. The king’s extravagance and dishonesty eventually destroy his position, while Drakestail’s practical judgement earns him the support of the people.
Knowledge Check
1. How did Drakestail acquire his hundred crowns?
He began with nothing and accumulated his savings through careful management.
2. Why did Drakestail decide to visit the king?
The king had borrowed his money but failed to repay the debt or the interest.
3. Which four companions joined Drakestail on his journey?
Fox, Ladder, River, and Wasp’s-nest with his wasps.
4. How did Fox help Drakestail in the poultry yard?
Fox emerged from Drakestail and attacked the turkeys and chickens that were pecking him.
5. How did Drakestail escape the well and the furnace?
Ladder helped him climb out of the well, while River flooded the furnace and extinguished the fire.
6. How did Drakestail become king?
After the wasps attacked the king and his ministers, they died while trying to escape. The people found Drakestail sitting on the throne and crowned him their new king.
Source
“Drakestail” appears in The Red Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang and published in 1890.
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