A hunter teaches his new duck-hunting partner to retrieve birds and carry eggs gently in his mouth without breaking them. But from their first hunting trip, the dog cannot bear to retrieve the wounded birds for his master. Instead, he brings sticks back to the hunter and takes the ducks to an island where they can heal. One night, the hunter discovers the dog’s secret after he follows his dog to the island where the dog delivers bread to the ducks every day. Ashamed, the hunter follows the example of his tender-hearted dog and nurses the birds back to health before setting them free. This reissue of Brian Wildsmith’s story of compassion is brightly illustrated with his characteristically colourful paintings.