Seaburgh is a quaint coastal town situated on the east coast of England, and it was where the protagonist of this tale decided to spend his weekend. Accompanying him was his old friend, Henry, and upon their arrival, they discovered that there were only a few other visitors in Seaburgh that year. The two friends checked into a hotel where they were greeted by one more guest, a tall young man named Paxton.

In the woods, a duck settled on her eggs and remained there for a considerable time. Eventually, the eggs hatched and several ducklings emerged, but one egg remained unhatched. Without hesitation, the mother duck returned to her nest and patiently waited for the egg to hatch. When it did, a large and peculiar-looking duckling appeared. Despite its odd appearance, the mother duck accepted the duckling as her own.