The bird struggled all the more frantically as

he approached, looking at him with hate in its

yellow eyes, and when he took hold of it to free

it, hissed at him, pecked him, and thrashed

dangerously with its wings which were

powerful enough to break his arm. Nevertheless

he managed to release it from the thorns, and

carrying it tightly with one arm, holding the

snaky head well away with the other hand (for

he did not wish his eyes pecked out), he took it

to the verge of the canal and dropped it in.

The swan instantly assumed great dignity and

sailed out to the middle of the water, where it put

itself to rights with much dabbling and preening,

smoothing its feathers with little showers of drops.

Mr. Peters waited to make sure that it was all right

and had suffered no damage in its struggles.


What is the swan's external conflict? use evidence from the text to support your answer