Kept 'mother'? The best wrong word here: she fretted, but the road-crew got them out. Kept 'legs' or 'holding'? That is how far down they had to reach.
This one really happened. On Wednesday morning in Alexandra, Central Otago, New Zealand, six to eight ducklings fell into a roadside drain. Road contractors from Fulton Hogan pulled them out one by one, one holding on to another's legs as he went further down. A cyclist, Barbara Hall, saw it on her way home along the rail trail. Then the mother duck led her brood across the road while the cyclists watched for cars. RNZ, 21 October.
Every word, accounted for
WhileA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
theirA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
motherWho was watching. The best wrong word here: she worried, the crew did the rescue.
frettedHow she felt.
aA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
road-crewWho did it. Stays.
inA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
NewWhere.
ZealandGoes with New.
rescuedWhat they did. Stays.
ducklingsWho was rescued. Stays.
oneA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
byA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
oneA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
fromA little word, but here it says where they came out of. Stays.
aA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
drainWhere they were stuck. Stays.
withA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
oneA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
manOne of the crew.
holdingHow they reached.
another'sGoes with legs.
legsHow far down he had to go.
asA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
heA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
reachedGoes with down.
downA little word. It only holds the sentence together.