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diff --git a/5846.txt b/5846.txt deleted file mode 100644 index fb65114..0000000 --- a/5846.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2222 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Adventures of Poor Mrs. Quack, by Thornton W. Burgess - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Adventures of Poor Mrs. Quack - -Author: Thornton W. Burgess - - -Release Date: June, 2004 [EBook #5846] -This file was first posted on September 11, 2002 -Last Updated: April 24, 2013 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ADVENTURES OF POOR MRS. QUACK *** - - - - -Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team - - - - - - - - -THE ADVENTURES OF POOR MRS. QUACK - -The Bedtime Story-Books - -By Thornton W. Burgess - - -Author of "Old Mother West Wind," "The Bedtime Story-Books," etc. - - - - - -CONTENTS - - - I. Peter Rabbit Becomes Acquainted with Mrs. Quack - II. Mrs. Quack is Distrustful - III. Mrs. Quack Tells About Her Home - IV. Mrs. Quack Continues Her Story - V. Peter Learns More of Mrs. Quack's Troubles - VI. Farmer Brown's Boy Visits the Smiling Pool - VII. Mrs. Quack Returns - VIII. Mrs. Quack Has a Good Meal and a Rest - IX. Peter Rabbit Makes an Early Call - X. How Mr. and Mrs. Quack Started North - XI. The Terrible, Terrible Guns - XII. What Did Happen to Mr. Quack - XIII. Peter Tells About Mrs. Quack - XIV. Sammy Jay's Plan to Help Mrs. Quack - XV. The Hunt for Mr. Quack - XVI. Sammy Jay Sees Something Green - XVII. Mr. Quack Is Found at Last - XVIII.Sammy Jay Sends Mrs. Quack to the Swamp - XIX. Jerry Muskrat's Great Idea - XX. Happy Days for Mr. and Mrs. Quack - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - -"Marshes must be something like swamps," ventured Peter Rabbit -Frontispiece - -Several times she circled around, high over the Smiling Pool - -"Some folks call him Alligator and some just 'Gator'" - -"Just tuck that fact away in that empty head of yours and never -say can't" - -"Yes," said he in a low voice, "I am Mr. Quack" - -Those were happy days indeed for Mr. and Mrs. Quack in the pond -of Paddy the Beaver - - - - -I - -PETER RABBIT BECOMES ACQUAINTED WITH MRS. QUACK - - -Make a new acquaintance every time you can; You'll find it -interesting and a very helpful plan. - -It means more knowledge. You cannot meet any one without learning -something from him if you keep your ears open and your eyes open. -Every one is at least a little different from every one else, and -the more people you know, the more you may learn. Peter Rabbit -knows this, and that is one reason he always is so eager to find out -about other people. He had left Jimmy Skunk and Bobby Coon in the -Green Forest and had headed for the Smiling Pool to see if Grandfather -Frog was awake yet. He had no idea of meeting a stranger there, and -so you can imagine just how surprised he was when he got in sight -of the Smiling Pool to see some one whom he never had seen before -swimming about there. He knew right away who it was. He knew that -it was Mrs. Quack the Duck, because he had often heard about her. And -then, too, it was very clear from her looks that she was a cousin -of the ducks he had seen in Farmer Brown's dooryard. The difference -was that while they were big and white and stupid-looking, Mrs. -Quack was smaller, brown, very trim, and looked anything but stupid. - -Peter was so surprised to see her in the Smiling Pool that he almost -forgot to be polite. I am afraid he stared in a very impolite way -as he hurried to the edge of the bank. "I suppose," said Peter, -"that you are Mrs. Quack, but I never expected to see you unless I -should go over to the Big River, and that is a place I never have -visited and hardly expect to because it is too far from the dear -Old Briar-patch. You are Mrs. Quack, aren't you?" - -"Yes," replied Mrs. Quack, "and you must be Peter Rabbit. I've heard -of you very often." All the time Mrs. Quack was swimming back and -forth and in little circles in the most uneasy way. - -"I hope you've heard nothing but good of me," replied Peter. - -Mrs. Quack stopped her uneasy swimming for a minute and almost -smiled as she looked at Peter, "The worst I have heard is that you -are very curious about other people's affairs," said she. - -Peter looked a wee, wee bit foolish, and then he laughed right out. -"I guess that is true enough," said he. "I like to learn all I can, -and how can I learn without being curious? I'm curious right now. -I'm wondering what brings you to the Smiling Pool when you never -have been here before. It is the last place in the world I ever -expected to find you." - -"That's why I'm here," replied Mrs. Quack. "I hope others feel the -same way. I came here because I just HAD to find some place where -people wouldn't expect to find me and so wouldn't come looking for -me. Little Joe Otter saw me yesterday on the Big River and told me -of this place, and so, because I just had to go somewhere, I came -here." - -Peter's eyes opened very wide with surprise. "Why," he exclaimed, -"I should think you would be perfectly safe on the Big River! I -don't see how any harm can possibly come to you out there." - -The words were no sooner out of Peter's mouth than a faint bang -sounded from way off towards the Big River. Mrs. Quack gave a great -start and half lifted her wings as if to fly. But she thought better -of it, and then Peter saw that she was trembling all over. - -"Did you hear that?" she asked in a faint voice. - -Peter nodded. "That was a gun, a terrible gun, but it was a long -way from here," said he. - -"It was over on the Big River," said Mrs. Quack. "That's why it -isn't safe for me over there. That's why I just had to find some -other place. Oh, dear, the very sound of a gun sets me to shaking -and makes my heart feel as if it would stop beating. Are you sure -I am perfectly safe here?" - -"Perfectly," spoke up Jerry Muskrat, who had been listening from -the top of the Big Rock, where he was lunching on a clam, "unless -you are not smart enough to keep out of the clutches of Reddy Fox -or Old Man Coyote or Hooty the Owl or Redtail the Hawk." - -"I'm not afraid of THEM," declared Mrs. Quack. "It's those two-legged -creatures with terrible guns I'm afraid of," and she began to swim -about more uneasily than ever. - - - - -II - -MRS. QUACK IS DISTRUSTFUL - - -Jerry Muskrat thinks there is no place in the world like the Smiling -Pool. So, for the matter of that, does Grandfather Frog and also -Spotty the Turtle. You see, they have spent their lives there and -know little about the rest of the Great World. When Mrs. Quack -explained that all she feared was that a two-legged creature with -a terrible gun might find her there, Jerry Muskrat hastened to tell -her that she had nothing to worry about on that account. - -"No one hunts here now that Farmer Brown's boy has put away his -terrible gun," explained Jerry. "There was a time when he used to -hunt here and set traps, which are worse than terrible guns, but -that was long ago, before he knew any better." - -"Who is Farmer Brown's boy?" demanded Mrs. Quack, looking more -anxious than ever. "Is he one of those two-legged creatures?" - -"Yes," said Peter Rabbit, who had been listening with all his ears, -"but he is the best friend we Quaddies have got. He is such a good -friend that he ought to be a Quaddy himself. Why, this last winter -he fed some of us when food was scarce, and he saved Mrs. Grouse -when she was caught in a snare, which you know is a kind of trap. -He won't let any harm come to you here, Mrs. Quack." - -"I wouldn't trust him, not for one single little minute," declared -Mrs. Quack. "I wouldn't trust one of those two-legged creatures, -not ONE. You say he fed some of you last winter, but that doesn't -mean anything good. Do you know what I've known these two-legged -creatures to do?" - -"What?" demanded Peter and Jerry together. - -"I've known them to scatter food where we Ducks would be sure to -find it and to take the greatest care that nothing should frighten -us while we were eating. And then, after we had got in the habit -of feeding in that particular place and had grown to feel perfectly -safe there, they have hidden close by until a lot of us were feeding -together and then fired their terrible guns and killed a lot of -my friends and dreadfully hurt a lot more. I wouldn't trust one of -them, not ONE!" - -"Oh, how dreadful!" cried Peter, looking quite as shocked as he felt. -Then he added eagerly, "But our Farmer Brown's boy wouldn't do anything -like that. You haven't the least thing to fear from him." - -"Perhaps not," said Mrs. Quack, shaking her head doubtfully, "but -I wouldn't trust him. I wouldn't trust him as far off as I could -see him. The Smiling Pool is a very nice place, although it is -dreadfully small, but if Farmer Brown's boy is likely to come over -here, I guess I better look for some other place, though goodness -knows where I will find one where I will feel perfectly safe." - -"You are safe right here, if you have sense enough to stay here," -declared Jerry Muskrat rather testily. "Don't you suppose Peter -and I know what we are talking about?" - -"I wish I could believe so," returned Mrs. Quack sadly, "but if -you had been through what I've been through, and suffered what I've -suffered, you wouldn't believe any place safe, and you certainly -wouldn't trust one of those two-legged creatures. Why, for weeks -they haven't given me a chance to get a square meal, and--and--I -don't know what has become of Mr. Quack, and I'm all alone!" There -was a little sob in her voice and tears in her eyes. - -"Tell us all about it," begged Peter. "Perhaps we can help you." - - - - -III - -MRS. QUACK TELLS ABOUT HER HOME - - -"It's a long story," said Mrs. Quack, shaking the tears from her -eyes, "and I hardly know where to begin." - -"Begin at the beginning," said Jerry Muskrat. "Your home is somewhere -way up in the Northland where Honker the Goose lives, isn't it?" - -Mrs. Quack nodded. "I wish I were there this very minute," she -replied, the tears coming again. "But sometimes I doubt if ever -I'll get there again. You folks who don't have to leave your homes -every year don't know how well off you are or how much you have to -be thankful for." - -"I never could understand what people want to leave their homes -for, anyway," declared Peter. - -"We don't leave because we want to, but because we HAVE to," replied -Mrs. Quack, "and we go back just as soon as we can. What would you -do if you couldn't find a single thing to eat?" - -"I guess I'd starve," replied Peter simply. - -"I guess you would, and that is just what we would do, if we didn't -take the long journey south when Jack Frost freezes everything -tight up there where my home is," returned Mrs. Quack. "He comes -earlier up there and stays twice as long as he does here, and -makes ten times as much ice and snow. We get most of our food in -the water or in the mud under the water, as of course you know, -and when the water is frozen, there isn't a scrap of anything we -can get to eat. We just HAVE to come south. It isn't because we -want to, but because we must! There is nothing else for us to do." - -"Then I don't see what you want to make your home in such a place -for," said practical Peter. "I should think you would make it where -you can live all the year around." - -"I was born up there, and I love it just as you love the dear Old -Briar-patch," replied Mrs. Quack simply. "It is home, and there -is no place like home. Besides, it is a very beautiful and a very -wonderful place in summer. There is everything that Ducks and Geese -love. We have all we want of the food we love best. Everywhere is -shallow water with tall grass growing in it." - -"Huh!" interrupted Peter, "I wouldn't think much of a place like -that." - -"That's because you don't know what is good," snapped Jerry -Muskrat. "It would suit me," he added, with shining eyes. - -"There are the dearest little islands just made for safe nesting-places," -continued Mrs. Quack, without heeding the interruptions. "And the -days are long, and it is easy to hide, and there is nothing to -fear, for two-legged creatures with terrible guns never come there." - -"If there is nothing to fear, why do you care about places to hide?" -demanded Peter. - -"Well, of course, we have enemies, just as you do here, but they -are natural enemies,--Foxes and Minks and Hawks and Owls," explained -Mrs. Quack. "Of course, we have to watch out for them and have -places where we can hide from them, but it is our wits against their -wits, and it is our own fault if we get caught. That is perfectly -fair, so we don't mind that. It is only men who are not fair. They -don't know what fairness is." - -Peter nodded that he understood, and Mrs. Quack went on. "Last -summer Mr. Quack and I had our nest on the dearest little island, -and no one found it. First we had twelve eggs, and then twelve of -the dearest babies you ever saw." - -"Maybe," said Peter doubtfully, thinking of his own babies. - -"They grew so fast that by the time the cold weather came, they -were as big as their father and mother," continued Mrs. Quack. -"And they were smart, too. They had learned how to take care of -themselves just as well as I could. I certainly was proud of that -family. But now I don't know where one of them is." - -Mrs. Quack suddenly choked up with grief, and Peter Rabbit politely -turned his head away. - - - - -IV - -MRS. QUACK CONTINUES HER STORY - - -When Mrs. Quack told of her twelve children and how she didn't know -where one of them was, Peter Rabbit and Jerry Muskrat knew just -how badly she was feeling, and they turned their heads away and -pretended that they didn't see her tears. In a few minutes she -bravely went on with her story. - -"When Jack Frost came and we knew it was time to begin the long -journey, Mr. Quack and myself and our twelve children joined -with some other Duck families, and with Mr. Quack in the lead, we -started for our winter home, which really isn't a home but just a -place to stay. For a while we had nothing much to fear. We would -fly by day and at night rest in some quiet lake or pond or on some -river, with the Great Woods all about us or sometimes great marshes. -Perhaps you don't know what marshes are. If the Green Meadows here -had little streams of water running every which way through them, -and the ground was all soft and muddy and full of water, and the -grass grew tall, they would be marshes." - -Jerry Muskrat's eyes sparkled. "I would like a place like that!" -he exclaimed. - -"You certainly would," replied Mrs. Quack. "We always find lots of -your relatives in such places." - -"Marshes must be something like swamps," ventured Peter Rabbit, -who had been thinking the matter over. - -"Very much the same, only with grass and rushes in place of trees -and bushes," replied Mrs. Quack. "There is plenty to eat and the -loveliest hiding-places. In some of these we stayed days at a time. -In fact, we stayed until Jack Frost came to drive us out. Then as -we flew, we began to see the homes of these terrible two-legged -creatures called men, and from that time on we never knew a minute -of peace, excepting when we were flying high in the air or far out -over the water. If we could have just kept flying all the time or -never had to go near the shore, we would have been all right. But -we had to eat." - -"Of course," said Peter. "Everybody has to eat." - -"And we had to rest," said Mrs. Quack. - -"Certainly," said Peter. "Everybody has to do that." - -"And to eat we had to go in close to shore where the water was -not at all deep, because it is only in such places that we can get -food," continued Mrs. Quack. "It takes a lot of strength to fly -as we fly, and strength requires plenty of food. Mr. Quack knew all -the best feeding-places, for he had made the long journey several -times, so every day he would lead the way to one of these. He always -chose the wildest and most lonely looking places he could find, as -far as possible from the homes of men, but even then he was never -careless. He would lead us around back and forth over the place -he had chosen, and we would all look with all our might for signs -of danger. If we saw none, we would drop down a little nearer and -a little nearer. But with all our watchfulness, we never could be -sure, absolutely sure, that all was safe. Sometimes those terrible -two-legged creatures would be hiding in the very middle of the -wildest, most lonely looking marshes. They would be covered with -grass so that we couldn't see them. Then, as we flew over them, -would come the bang, bang, bang, bang of terrible guns, and always -some of our flock would drop. We would have to leave them behind, -for we knew if we wanted to live we must get beyond the reach of -those terrible guns. So we would fly our hardest. It was awful, -just simply awful!" - -Mrs. Quack paused and shuddered, and Peter Rabbit and Jerry Muskrat -shuddered in sympathy. - -"Sometimes we would have to try three or four feeding-places before -we found one where there were no terrible guns. And when we did -find one, we would be so tired and frightened that we couldn't -enjoy our food, and we didn't dare to sleep without some one on -watch all the time. It was like that every day. The farther we got, -the worse it became. Our flock grew smaller and smaller. Those who -escaped the terrible guns would be so frightened that they would -forget to follow their leader and would fly in different directions -and later perhaps join other flocks. So it was that when at last we -reached the place in the sunny Southland for which we had started, -Mr. Quack and I were alone. What became of our twelve children I -don't know. I am afraid the terrible guns killed some. I hope some -joined other flocks and escaped, but I don't know." - -"I hope they did too," said Peter. - - - - -V - -PETER LEARNS MORE OF MRS. QUACK'S TROUBLES - - -It often happens when we know The troubles that our friends -pass through, Our own seem very small indeed; You'll -always find that this is true. - -"My, you must have felt glad when you reached your winter home!" -exclaimed Peter Rabbit when Mrs. Quack finished the account of her -long, terrible journey from her summer home in the far Northland -to her winter home in the far Southland. - -"I did," replied Mrs. Quack, "but all the time I couldn't forget -those to whom terrible things had happened on the way down, and -then, too, I kept dreading the long journey back." - -"I don't see why you didn't stay right there. I would have," said -Peter, nodding his head with an air of great wisdom. - -"Not if you were I," replied Mrs. Quack. "In the first place it -isn't a proper place in which to bring up young Ducks and make them -strong and healthy. In the second place there are more dangers down -there for young Ducks than up in the far Northland. In the third -place there isn't room for all the Ducks to nest properly. And -lastly there is a great longing for our real home, which Old Mother -Nature has put in our hearts and which just MAKES us go. We couldn't -be happy if we didn't." - -"Is the journey back as bad as the journey down?" asked Peter. - -"Worse, very much worse," replied Mrs. Quack sadly. "You can see -for yourself just how bad it is, for here I am all alone." Tears -filled Mrs. Quack's eyes. "It is almost too terrible to talk about," -she continued after a minute. "You see, for one thing, food isn't -as plentiful as it is in the fall, and we just have to go wherever -it is to be found. Those two-legged creatures know where those -feeding-grounds are just as well as we do, and they hide there with -their terrible guns just as they did when we were coming south. -But it is much worse now, very much worse. You see, when we were -going the other way, if we found them at one place we could go on -to another, but when we are going north we cannot always do that. -We cannot go any faster than Jack Frost does. Sometimes we are -driven out of a place by the bang, bang of the terrible guns and go -on, only to find that we have caught up with Jack Frost, and that -the ponds and the rivers are still covered with ice. Then there -is nothing to do but to turn back to where those terrible guns are -waiting for us. We just HAVE to do it." - -Mrs. Quack stopped and shivered. "It seems to me I have heard nothing -but the noise of those terrible guns ever since we started," said -she. "I haven't had a good square meal for days and days, nor a -good rest. That is what makes me so dreadfully nervous. Sometimes, -when we had been driven from place to place until we had caught up -with Jack Frost, there would be nothing but ice excepting in small -places in a river where the water runs too swiftly to freeze. We -would just have to drop into one of these to rest a little, because -we had flown so far that our wings ached as if they would drop -off. Then just as we would think we were safe for a little while, -there would come the bang of a terrible gun. Then we would have -to fly again as long as we could, and finally come back to the same -place because there was no other place where we could go. Then we -would have to do it all over again until night came. Sometimes I -think that those men with terrible guns must hate us and want to -kill every one of us. If they didn't, they would have a little bit -of pity. They simply haven't any hearts at all." - -"It does seem so," agreed Peter. "But wait until you know Farmer -Brown's boy! HE'S got a heart!" he added brightly. - -"I don't want to know him," retorted Mrs. Quack. "If he comes near -here, you'll see me leave in a hurry. I wouldn't trust one of them, -not one minute. You don't think he will come, do you?" - -Peter sat up and looked across the Green Meadows, and his heart -sank. "He's coming now, but I'm sure he won't hurt you, Mrs. Quack," -said he. - -But Mrs. Quack wouldn't wait to see. With a hasty promise to come -back when the way was clear, she jumped into the air and on swift -wings disappeared towards the Big River. - - - - -VI - -FARMER BROWN'S BOY VISITS THE SMILING POOL - - -Farmer Brown's boy had heard Welcome Robin singing in the Old -Orchard quite as soon as Peter Rabbit had, and that song of "Cheer -up! Cheer up! Cheer up! Cheer!" had awakened quite as much gladness -in his heart as it had in Peter's heart. It meant that Mistress -Spring really had arrived, and that over in the Green Forest and -down on the Green Meadows there would soon be shy blue, and just -as shy white violets to look for, and other flowers almost if not -quite as sweet and lovely. It meant that his feathered friends would -soon be busy house-hunting and building. It meant that his little -friends in fur would also be doing something very similar, if -they had not already done so. It meant that soon there would be a -million lovely things to see and a million joyous sounds to hear. - -So the sound of Welcome Robin's voice made the heart of Farmer Brown's -boy even more happy than it was before, and as Welcome Robin just -HAD to sing, so Farmer Brown's boy just HAD to whistle. When his -work was finished, it seemed to Farmer Brown's boy that something -was calling him, calling him to get out on the Green Meadows or over -in the Green Forest and share in the happiness of all the little -people there. So presently he decided that he would go down to the -Smiling Pool to find out how Jerry Muskrat was, and if Grandfather -Frog was awake yet, and if the sweet singers of the Smiling Pool -had begun their wonderful spring chorus. - -Down the Crooked Little Path cross the Green Meadows he tramped, -and as he drew near the Smiling Pool, he stopped whistling lest -the sound should frighten some of the little people there. He was -still some distance from the Smiling Pool when out of it sprang a -big bird and on swift, whistling wings flew away in the direction -of the Big River. Farmer Brown's boy stopped and watched until the -bird had disappeared, and on his face was a look of great surprise. - -"As I live, that was a Duck!" he exclaimed. "That is the first time -I've ever known a wild Duck to be in the Smiling Pool. I wonder -what under the sun could have brought her over here." - -Just then there was a distant bang in the direction of the Big River. -Farmer Brown's boy scowled, and it made his face very angry-looking. -"That's it," he muttered. "Hunters are shooting the Ducks on their -way north and have driven the poor things to look for any little -mudhole where they can get a little rest. Probably that Duck has -been shot at so many times on the Big River that she felt safer -over here in the Smiling Pool, little as it is." - -Farmer Brown's boy had guessed exactly right, as you and I know, and -as Peter Rabbit and Jerry Muskrat knew. "It's a shame, a downright -shame that any one should want to shoot birds on their way to their -nesting-grounds and that the law should let them if they do want -to. Some people haven't any hearts; they're all stomachs. I hope -that fellow who shot just now over there on the Big River didn't -hit anything, and I wish that gun of his might have kicked a little -sense of what is right and fair into his head, but of course it -didn't." - -He grinned at the idea, and then he continued his way towards the -Smiling Pool. He hoped he might find another Duck there, and he -approached the Smiling Pool very, very carefully. - -But when he reached a point where he could see all over the Smiling -Pool, there was no one to be seen save Jerry Muskrat sitting on -the Big Rock and Peter Rabbit on the bank on the other side. Farmer -Brown's boy smiled when he saw them. "Hello, Jerry Muskrat!" said -he. "I wonder how a bite of carrot would taste to you." He felt -in his pocket and brought out a couple of carrots. One he put on -a little tussock in the water where he knew Jerry would find it. -The other he tossed across the Smiling Pool where he felt sure Peter -would find it. Presently he noticed two or three feathers on the -water close to the edge of the bank. Mrs. Quack had left them there. -"I believe that was a Mallard Duck," said he, as he studied them. -"I know what I'll do. I'll go straight back home and get some wheat -and corn and put it here on the edge of the Smiling Pool. Perhaps -she will come back and find it." - -And this is just what Farmer Brown's boy did. - - - - -VII - -MRS. QUACK RETURNS - - -Peter Rabbit just couldn't go back to the dear Old Briar-patch. -He just HAD to know if Mrs. Quack would come back to the Smiling -Pool. He had seen Farmer Brown's boy come there a second time and -scatter wheat and corn among the brown stalks of last summer's -rushes, and he had guessed why Farmer Brown's boy had done this. -He had guessed that they had been put there especially for Mrs. -Quack, and if she should come back as she had promised to do, he -wanted to be on hand when she found those good things to eat and -hear what she would say. - -So Peter stayed over near the Smiling Pool and hoped with all his -might that Reddy Fox or Old Man Coyote would not take it into his -head to come hunting over there. As luck would have it, neither of -them did, and Peter had a very pleasant time gossiping with Jerry -Muskrat, listening to the sweet voices of unseen singers in the -Smiling Pool,--the Hylas, which some people call peepers,--and -eating the carrot which Farmer Brown's boy had left for him. - -Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was just getting ready to go to bed -behind the Purple Hills when Mrs. Quack returned. The first Peter -knew of her coming was the whistle of her wings as she passed over -him. Several times she circled around, high over the Smiling Pool, -and Peter simply stared in open-mouthed admiration at the speed -with which she flew. It didn't seem possible that one so big could -move through the air so fast. Twice she set her wings and seemed -to just slide down almost to the surface of the Smiling Pool, only -to start her stout wings in motion once more and circle around again. -It was very clear that she was terribly nervous and suspicious. The -third time she landed in the water with a splash and sat perfectly -still with her head stretched up, looking and listening with all -her might. - -"It's all right. There's nothing to be afraid of," said Jerry -Muskrat. - -"Are you sure?" asked Mrs. Quack anxiously. "I've been fooled too -often by men with their terrible guns to ever feel absolutely sure -that one isn't hiding and waiting to shoot me." As she spoke she -swam about nervously. "Peter Rabbit and I have been here ever since -you left, and I guess we ought to know," replied Jerry Muskrat -rather shortly. "There hasn't been anybody near here excepting -Farmer Brown's boy, and we told you he wouldn't hurt you." - -"He brought us each a carrot," Peter Rabbit broke in eagerly. - -"Just the same, I wouldn't trust him," replied Mrs. Quack. "Where -is he now?" - -"He left ever so long ago, and he won't be back to-night," declared -Peter confidently. - -"I hope not," said Mrs. Quack, with a sigh. "Did you hear the bang -of that terrible gun just after I left here?" - -"Yes," replied Jerry Muskrat. "Was it fired at you?" - -Mrs. Quack nodded and held up one wing. Peter and Jerry could see -that one of the long feathers was missing. "I thought I was flying -high enough to be safe," said she, "but when I reached the Big -River there was a bang from the bushes on the bank, and something -cut that feather out of my wing, and I felt a sharp pain in my side. -It made me feel quite ill for a while, and the place is very sore -now, but I guess I'm lucky that it was no worse. It is very hard -work to know just how far those terrible guns can throw things at -you. Next time I will fly higher." - -"Where have you been since you left us?" asked Peter. - -"Eight in the middle of the Big River," replied Mrs. Quack. "It -was the only safe place. I didn't dare go near either shore, and -I'm nearly starved. I haven't had a mouthful to eat to-day." - -Peter opened his mouth to tell her of the wheat and corn left by -Farmer Brown's boy and then closed it again. He would let her find -it for herself. If he told her about it, she might suspect a trick -and refuse to go near the place. He never had seen any one so -suspicious, not even Old Man Coyote. But he couldn't blame her, -after all she had been through. So he kept still and waited. He -was learning, was Peter Rabbit. He was learning a great deal about -Mrs. Quack. - - - - -VIII - -MRS. QUACK HAS A GOOD MEAL AND A REST - - -There's nothing like a stomach full To make the heart feel -light; To chase away the clouds of care And make the -world seem bright. - -That's a fact. A full stomach makes the whole world seem different, -brighter, better, and more worth living in. It is the hardest kind -of hard work to be cheerful and see only the bright side of things -when your stomach is empty. But once fill that empty stomach, and -everything is changed. It was just that way with Mrs. Quack. For -days at a time she hadn't had a full stomach because of the hunters -with their terrible guns, and when just before dark that night she -returned to the Smiling Pool, her stomach was quite empty. - -"I don't suppose I'll find much to eat here, but a little in peace -and safety is better than a feast with worry and danger," said she, -swimming over to the brown, broken-down bulrushes on one side of -the Smiling Pool and appearing to stand on her head as she plunged -it under water and searched in the mud on the bottom for food. -Peter Rabbit looked over at Jerry Muskrat sitting on the Big Rock, -and Jerry winked. In a minute up bobbed the head of Mrs. Quack, -and there was both a pleased and a worried look on her face. She -had found some of the corn left there by Farmer Brown's boy. At once -she swam out to the middle of the Smiling Pool, looking suspiciously -this way and that way. - -"There is corn over there," said she. "Do you know how it came -there?" - -"I saw Farmer Brown's boy throwing something over there," replied -Peter. "Didn't we tell you that he would be good to you?" - -"Quack, quack, quack! I've seen that kind of kindness too often to -be fooled by it," snapped Mrs. Quack. "He probably saw me leave in -a hurry and put this corn here, hoping that I would come back and -find it and make up my mind to stay here a while. He thinks that -if I do, he'll have a chance to hide near enough to shoot me. I -didn't believe this could be a safe place for me, and now I know -it. I'll stay here to-night, but to-morrow I'll try to find some -other place. Oh, dear, it's dreadful not to have any place at all -to feel safe in." There were tears in her eyes. - -Peter thought of the dear Old Briar-patch and how safe he always felt -there, and he felt a great pity for poor Mrs. Quack, who couldn't -feel safe anywhere. And then right away he grew indignant that she -should be so distrustful of Farmer Brown's boy, though if he had -stopped to think, he would have remembered that once he was just -as distrustful. - -"I should think," said Peter with a great deal of dignity, "that -you might at least believe what Jerry Muskrat and I, who live here -all the time, tell you. We ought to know Farmer Brown's boy if any -one does, and we tell you that he won't harm a feather of you." - -"He won't get the chance!" snapped Mrs. Quack. - -Jerry Muskrat sniffed in disgust. "I don't doubt you have suffered -a lot from men with terrible guns," said he, "but you don't suppose -Peter and I have lived as long as we have without learning a little, -do you? I wouldn't trust many of those two-legged creatures myself, -but Farmer Brown's boy is different. If all of them were like him, -we wouldn't have a thing to fear from them. He has a heart. Yes, -indeed, he has a heart. Now you take my advice and eat whatever he -has put there for you, be thankful, and stop worrying. Peter and -I will keep watch and warn you if there is any danger." - -I don't know as even this would have overcome Mrs. Quack's fears -if it hadn't been for the taste of that good corn in her mouth, and -her empty stomach. She couldn't, she just couldn't resist these, -and presently she was back among the rushes, hunting out the corn -and wheat as fast as ever she could. When at last she could eat no -more, she felt so comfortable that somehow the Smiling Pool didn't -seem such a dangerous place after all, and she quite forgot Farmer -Brown's boy. She found a snug hiding-place among the rushes too -far out from the bank for Reddy Fox to surprise her, and then with -a sleepy "Good night" to Jerry and Peter, she tucked her head under -her wing and soon was fast asleep. - -Peter Rabbit tiptoed away, and then he hurried lipperty-lipperty-lip -to the dear Old Briar-patch to tell Mrs. Peter all about Mrs. Quack. - - - - -IX - -PETER RABBIT MAKES AN EARLY CALL - - -Peter Rabbit was so full of interest in Mrs. Quack and her troubles -that he was back at the Smiling Pool before Mr. Sun had kicked off -his rosy blankets and begun his daily climb up in the blue, blue -sky. You see, he felt that he had heard only a part of Mrs. Quack's -story, and he was dreadfully afraid that she would get away before -he could hear the rest. With the first bit of daylight, Mrs. Quack -swam out from her hiding-place among the brown rushes. It looked -to Peter as if she sat up on the end of her tail as she stretched -her neck and wings just as far as she could, and he wanted to laugh -right out. Then she quickly ducked her head under water two or -three times so that the water rolled down over her back, and again -Peter wanted to laugh. But he didn't. He kept perfectly still. Mrs. -Quack shook herself and then began to carefully dress her feathers. -That is, she carefully put back in place every feather that had -been rumpled up. She took a great deal of time for this, for Mrs. -Quack is very neat and tidy and takes the greatest pride in looking -as fine as she can. - -Of course it was very impolite of Peter to watch her make her -toilet, but he didn't think of that. He didn't mean to be impolite. -And then it was so interesting. "Huh!" said he to himself, "I don't -see what any one wants to waste so much time on their clothes for." - -You know Peter doesn't waste any time on his clothes. In fact, -he doesn't seem to care a bit how he looks. He hasn't learned yet -that it always pays to be as neat and clean as possible and that -you must think well of yourself if you want others to think well -of you. - -When at last Mrs. Quack had taken a final shower bath and appeared -satisfied that she was looking her best, Peter opened his mouth to -ask her the questions he was so full of, but closed it again as he -remembered people are usually better natured when their stomachs -are full, and Mrs. Quack had not yet breakfasted. So he waited as -patiently as he could, which wasn't patiently at all. At last Mrs. -Quack finished her breakfast, and then she had to make her toilet -all over again. Finally Peter hopped to the edge of the bank where -she would see him. - -"Good morning, Mrs. Quack," said he very politely. "I hope you had -a good rest and are feeling very well this morning." - -"Thank you," replied Mrs. Quack. "I'm feeling as well as could be -expected. In fact, I'm feeling better than I have felt for some -time in spite of the sore place made by that terrible gun yesterday. -You see, I have had a good rest and two square meals, and these -are things I haven't had since goodness knows when. This is a very -nice place. Let me see, what is it you call it?" - -"The Smiling Pool," said Peter. - -"That's a good name for it," returned Mrs. Quack. "If only I could -be sure that none of those hunters would find me here, and if only -Mr. Quack were here, I would be content to stay a while." At the -mention of Mr. Quack, the eyes of Mrs. Quack suddenly filled with -tears. Peter felt tears of sympathy in his own eyes. - -"Where is Mr. Quack?" he asked. - -"I don't know," sobbed Mrs. Quack. "I wish I did. I haven't seen -him since one of those terrible guns was fired at us over on the -Big River yesterday morning a little while before Little Joe Otter -told me about the Smiling Pool. Ever since we started for our home -in the far North, I have been fearing that something of this kind -might happen. I ought to be on my way there now, but what is the -use without Mr. Quack? Without him, I would be all alone up there -and wouldn't have any home." - -"Won't you tell me all that has happened since you started on your -long journey?" asked Peter. "Perhaps some of us can help you." - -"I'm afraid you can't," replied Mrs. Quack sadly, "but I'll tell -you all about it so that you may know just how thankful you ought -to feel that you do not have to suffer what some of us do." - - - - -X - -HOW MR. AND MRS. QUACK STARTED NORTH - - -Peter Rabbit was eager to help Mrs. Quack in her trouble, though -he hadn't the least idea how he could help and neither had she. How -any one who dislikes water as Peter does could help one who lives -on the water all the time was more than either one of them could -see. And yet without knowing it, Peter WAS helping Mrs. Quack. -He was giving her his sympathy, and sympathy often helps others -a great deal more than we even guess. It sometimes is a very good -plan to tell your troubles to some one who will listen with sympathy. -It was so with Mrs. Quack. She had kept her troubles locked in -her own heart so long that it did her good to pour them all out to -Peter. - -"Mr. Quack and I spent a very comfortable winter way down in -the sunny Southland," said she with a far-away look. "It was very -warm and nice down there, and there were a great many other Ducks -spending the winter with us. The place where we were was far from -the homes of men, and it was only once in a long while that we had -to watch out for terrible guns. Of course, we had to have our wits -with us all the time, because there are Hawks and Owls and Minks -down there just as there are up here, but any Duck who can't keep -out of their way deserves to furnish one of them a dinner. - -"Then there was another fellow we had to watch out for, a queer -fellow whom we never see anywhere but down there. It was never safe -to swim too near an old log floating in the water or lying on the -bank, because it might suddenly open a great mouth and swallow one -of us whole." - -"What's that?" Peter Rabbit leaned forward and stared at Mrs. Quack -with his eyes popping right out. "What's that?" he repeated. "How -can an old log have a mouth?" - -Mrs. Quack just had to smile, Peter was so in earnest and looked -so astonished. - -"Of course," said she, "no really truly log has a mouth or is alive, -but this queer fellow I was speaking of looks so much like an old -log floating in the water unless you look at him very sharply, -that many a heedless young Duck has discovered the difference when -it was too late. Then, too, he will swim under water and come up -underneath and seize you without any warning. He has the biggest -mouth I've ever seen, with terrible-looking teeth, and could swallow -me whole." - -[Illustration with caption: "Some folks call him Alligator and some -just 'Gator."] - -By this time Peter's eyes looked as if they would fall out of his -head. "What is his name?" whispered Peter. - -"It's Old Ally the 'Gator," replied Mrs. Quack. "Some folks call -him Alligator and some just 'Gator, but we call him Old Ally. He's a -very interesting old fellow. Some time perhaps I'll tell you more -about him. Mr. Quack and I kept out of his reach, you may be sure. -We lived quietly and tried to get in as good condition as possible -for the long journey back to our home in the North. When it was -time to start, a lot of us got together, just as we did when we came -down from the North, only this time the young Ducks felt themselves -quite grown up. In fact, before we started there was a great deal -of love-making, and each one chose a mate. That was a very happy -time, a very happy time indeed, but it was a sad time too for us -older Ducks, because we knew what dreadful things were likely to -happen on the long journey. It is hard enough to lose father or -mother or brother or sister, but it is worse to lose a dear mate." - -Mrs. Quack's eyes suddenly filled with tears again. "Oh, dear," -she sobbed, "I wish I knew what became of Mr. Quack." - -Peter said nothing, but looked the sympathy he felt. Presently Mrs. -Quack went on with her story. "We had a splendid big flock when we -started, made up wholly of pairs, each pair dreaming of the home -they would build when they reached the far North. Mr. Quack was -the leader as usual, and I flew right behind him. We hadn't gone -far before we began to hear the terrible guns, and the farther we -went, the worse they got. Mr. Quack led us to the safest feeding -and resting grounds he knew of, and for a time our flock escaped -the terrible guns. But the farther we went, the more guns there -were." Mrs. Quack paused and Peter waited. - - - - -XI - -THE TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE GUNS - - -"Bang! Bang! Bang! Not a feather spare! Kill! Kill! Kill! -Wound and rip and tear!" - -That is what the terrible guns roar from morning to night at Mrs. -Quack and her friends as they fly on their long journey to their -home in the far North. I don't wonder that she was terribly uneasy -and nervous as she sat in the Smiling Pool talking to Peter Rabbit; -do you? - -"Yes," said she, continuing her story of her long journey from the -sunny Southland where she had spent the winter, "the farther we -got, the more there were of those terrible guns. It grew so bad -that as well as Mr. Quack knew the places where we could find food, -and no Duck that ever flew knew them better, he couldn't find one -where we could feel perfectly sure that we were safe. The very -safest-looking places sometimes were the most dangerous. If you saw -a lot of Rabbits playing together on the Green Meadows, you would -feel perfectly safe in joining them, wouldn't you?" - -Peter nodded. "I certainly would," said he. "If it was safe for -them it certainly would be safe for me." - -"Well, that is just the way we felt when we saw a lot of Ducks -swimming about on the edge of one of those feeding-places. We were -tired, for we had flown a long distance, and we were hungry. It -was still and peaceful there and not a thing to be seen that looked -the least bit like danger. So we went straight in to join those -Ducks, and then, just as we set our wings to drop down on the water -among them, there was a terrible bang, bang, bang, bang! My heart -almost stopped beating. Then how we did fly! When we were far -out over the water where we could see that nothing was near us we -stopped to rest, and there we found only half as many in our flock -as there had been." - -"Where were the others?" asked Peter, although he guessed. - -"Killed or hurt by those terrible guns," replied Mrs. Quack sadly. -"And that wasn't the worst of it. I told you that when we started -each of us had a mate. Now we found that of those who had escaped, -four had lost their mates. They were heartbroken. When it came -time for us to move on, they wouldn't go. They said that if they -did reach the nesting-place in the far North, they couldn't have -nests or eggs or young because they had no mates, so what was the -use? Besides, they hoped that if they waited around they might find -their mates. They thought they might not have been killed, but just -hurt, and might be able to get away from those hunters. So they -left us and swam back towards that terrible place, calling for their -lost mates, and it was the saddest sound. I know now just how they -felt, for I have lost Mr. Quack, and that's why I'm here." Mrs. -Quack drew a wing across her eyes to wipe away the tears. - -"But what happened to those Ducks that were swimming about there -and made you think it was safe?" asked Peter, with a puzzled look -on his face. - -"Nothing," replied Mrs. Quack. "They had been fastened out there -in the water by the hunters so as to make us think it safe, and the -terrible guns were fired at us and not at them. The hunters were -hidden under grass, and that is why we didn't see them." - -Peter blinked his eyes rapidly as if he were having hard work to -believe what he had been told. "Why," said he at last, "I never -heard of anything so dreadfully unfair in all my life! Do you mean -to tell me that those hunters actually made other Ducks lead you -into danger?" - -"That's just what I mean," returned Mrs. Quack. "Those two-legged -creatures don't know what fairness is. Why, some of them have -learned our language and actually call us in where they can shoot -us. Just think of that! They tell us in our own language that there -is plenty to eat and all is safe, so that we will think that other -Ducks are hidden and feeding there, and then when we go to join -them, we are shot at! You ought to be mighty thankful, Peter Rabbit, -that you are not a Duck." - -"I am," replied Peter. He knew that not one of the meadow and forest -people who were always trying to catch him would do a thing like -that. - -"It's all true," said Mrs. Quack, "and those hunters do other things -just as unfair. Sometimes awful storms will come up, and we just -have to find places where we can rest. Those hunters will hide -near those places and shoot at us when we are so tired that we can -hardly move a wing. It wouldn't be so bad if a hunter would be -satisfied to kill just one Duck, just as Reddy Fox is, but he seems -to want to kill EVERY Duck. Foxes and Hawks and Owls catch a good -many young Ducks, just as they do young Rabbits, but you know how -we feel about that. They only hunt when they are hungry, and they -hunt fairly. When, they have got enough to make a dinner, they stop. -They keep our wits sharp. If we do not keep out of their way, it -is our own fault. It is a kind of game--the game of life. I guess -it is Old Mother Nature's way of keeping us wide-awake and sharpening -our wits, and so making us better fitted to live. - -"With these two-legged creatures with terrible guns, it is all -different. We don't have any chance at all. If they hunted us as -Reddy Fox does, tried to catch us themselves, it would be different. -But their terrible guns kill when we are a long way off, and there -isn't any way for us to know of the danger. And then, when one of -them does kill a Duck, he isn't satisfied, but keeps on killing -and killing and killing. I'm sure one would make him a dinner, if -that is what he wants. - -"And they often simply break the wings or otherwise terribly hurt -the ones they shoot at, and then leave them to suffer, unable -to take care of themselves. Oh, dear, I'm afraid that is what has -happened to Mr. Quack." - -Once more poor Mrs. Quack was quite overcome with her troubles and -sorrows. Peter wished with all his heart that he could do something -to comfort her, but of course he couldn't, so he just sat still and -waited until she could tell him just what did happen to Mr. Quack. - - - - -XII - -WHAT DID HAPPEN TO MR. QUACK - - -"When did you last see Mr. Quack?" asked Jerry Muskrat, who had -been listening while Mrs. Quack told Peter Rabbit about her terrible -journey. - -"Early yesterday morning," replied Mrs. Quack, the tears once more -filling her eyes. "We had reached the Big River over there, just -six of us out of the big flock that had started from the sunny -Southland. How we got as far as that I don't know. But we did, and -neither Mr. Quack nor I had lost a feather from those terrible guns -that had banged at us all the way up and that had killed so many -of our friends. - -"We were flying up the Big River, and everything seemed perfectly -safe. We were in a hurry, and when we came to a bend in the Big -River, we flew quite close to shore, so as not to have to go way -out and around. That was where Mr. Quack made a mistake. Even the -smartest people will make mistakes sometimes, you know." - -Peter Rabbit nodded, "I know," said he. "I've made them myself." -And then he wondered why Jerry Muskrat laughed right out. - -"Yes," continued Mrs. Quack, "that is where Mr. Quack made a mistake, -a great mistake. I suppose that because not a single gun had been -fired at us that morning he thought perhaps there were no hunters -on the Big River. So to save time he led us close to shore. And -then it happened. There was a bang, bang of a terrible gun, and -down fell Mr. Quack just as we had seen so many fall before. It was -awful. There was Mr. Quack flying in front of me on swift, strong -wings, and there never was a swifter, stronger flier or a handsomer -Duck than Mr. Quack, and then all in the wink of an eye he was -tumbling helplessly down, down to the water below, and I was flying -on alone, for the other Ducks turned off, and I don't know what -became of them. I couldn't stop to see what became of Mr. Quack, -because if I had, that terrible gun would have killed me. So I kept -on a little way and then turned and went back, only I kept out in -the middle of the Big River. I dropped down on the water and swam -about, calling and calling, but I didn't get any answer, and so I -don't know what has become of Mr. Quack. I am afraid he was killed, -and if he was, I wish I had been killed myself." - -Here Mrs. Quack choked up so that she couldn't say another word. -Peter's own eyes were full of tears as he tried to comfort her. -"Perhaps," said he, "Mr. Quack wasn't killed and is hiding somewhere -along the Big River. I don't know why I feel so, but I feel sure -that he wasn't killed, and that you will find him yet." - -"That's why I've waited instead of going on," replied Mrs. Quack -between sobs, "though it wouldn't have been of any use to go on -without my dear mate. I'm going back to the Big River now to look -for him. The trouble is, I don't dare go near the shore, and if he -is alive, he probably is hiding somewhere among the rushes along the -banks. I think I'll be going along now, but I'll be back to-night -if nothing happens to me. You folks who can always stay at home -have a great deal to be thankful for." - -"It's lucky for me that Mrs. Peter wasn't here to hear her say -that," said Peter, as he and Jerry Muskrat watched Mrs. Quack fly -swiftly towards the Big River. "Mrs. Peter is forever worrying and -scolding because I don't stay in the dear Old Briar-patch. If she -had heard Mrs. Quack say that, I never would have heard the last -of it. I wish there was something we could do for Mrs. Quack. I'm -going back to the dear Old Briar-patch to think it over, and I guess -the sooner I start the better, for that looks to me like Reddy Fox -over there, and he's headed this way." - -So off for home started Peter, lipperty-lipperty-lip, as fast as -he could go, and all the way there he was turning over in his mind -what Mrs. Quack had told him and trying to think of some way to -help her. - - - - -XIII - -PETER TELLS ABOUT MRS. QUACK - - -To get things done, if you'll but try, You'll always find there -is a way. What you yourself can't do alone The chances -are another may. - -When Peter Rabbit was once more safely back in the dear Old Briar-patch, -he told Mrs. Peter all about poor Mrs. Quack and her troubles. Then -for a long, long time he sat in a brown study. A brown study, you -know, is sitting perfectly still and thinking very hard. That was -what Peter did. He sat so still that if you had happened along, -you probably would have thought him asleep. But he wasn't asleep. -No, indeed! He was just thinking and thinking. He was trying to -think of some way to help Mrs. Quack. At last he gave a little sigh -of disappointment. - -[Illustration with caption: "Just tuck that fact away in that empty -head of yours and never say can't."] - -"It can't be done," said he. "There isn't any way." - -"What can't be done?" demanded a voice right over his head. - -Peter looked up. There sat Sammy Jay. Peter had been thinking so -hard that he hadn't seen Sammy arrive. - -"What can't be done?" repeated Sammy. "There isn't anything that -can't be done. There are plenty of things that you can't do, but -what you can't do some one else can. Just tuck that fact away in -that empty head of yours and never say can't." You know Sammy dearly -loves to tease Peter. - -Peter made a good-natured face at Sammy. "Which means, I suppose, -that what I can't do you can. You always did have a pretty good -opinion of yourself, Sammy," said he. - -"Nothing of the kind," retorted Sammy. "I simply mean that nobody -can do everything, and that very often two heads are better than -one. It struck me that you had something on your mind, and I thought -I might be able to help you get rid of it. But of course, if you -don't want my help, supposing I could and would give it to you, -that is an end of the matter, and I guess I'll be on my way. The -Old Briar-patch is rather a dull place anyway." - -Peter started to make a sharp retort, but thought better of it. -Instead he replied mildly: "I was just trying to think of some way -to help poor Mrs. Quack." - -"Help Mrs. Quack!" exclaimed Sammy in surprise. "Where under the -sun did you get acquainted with Mrs. Quack? What's the matter with -her? She always has looked to me quite able to help herself." - -"Well, she isn't. That is, she needs others to help her just now," -replied Peter, "and I've been most thinking my head off trying to -find a way to help her." Then he told Sammy how he had met Mrs. -Quack at the Smiling Pool and how terrible her long journey up from -the sunny Southland had been, and how Mr. Quack had been shot by -a hunter with a terrible gun, and how poor Mrs. Quack was quite -heartbroken, and how she had gone over to the Big River to look -for him but didn't dare go near the places where he might be hiding -if he were still alive and hurt so that he couldn't fly, and how -cruel and terribly unfair were the men with terrible guns, and all -the other things he had learned from Mrs. Quack. - -Sammy listened with his head cocked on one side, and for once he -didn't interrupt Peter or try to tease him or make fun of him. In -fact, as Peter looked up at him, he could see that Sammy was very -serious and thoughtful, and that the more he heard of Mrs. Quack's -story the more thoughtful he looked. When Peter finished, Sammy -flew down a little nearer to Peter. - -"I beg your pardon for saying your head is empty, Peter," said he. -"Your heart is right, anyway. Of course, there isn't anything you -can do to help Mrs. Quack, but as I told you in the beginning, -what you can't do others can. Now I don't say that I can help Mrs. -Quack, but I can try. I believe I'll do a little thinking myself." - -So Sammy Jay in his turn went into a brown study, and Peter watched -him anxiously and a little hopefully. - - - - -XIV - -SAMMY JAY'S PLAN TO HELP MRS. QUACK - - -Sammy Jay sat on the lowest branch of a little tree in the dear -Old Briar-patch just over Peter Rabbit's head, thinking as hard -as ever he could. Peter watched him and wondered if Sammy would -be able to think of any plan for helping poor Mrs. Quack. He hoped -so. He himself had thought and thought until he felt as if his -brains were all mixed up and he couldn't think any more. So he -watched Sammy and waited and hoped. - -Presently Sammy flirted his wings in a way which Peter knew meant -that he had made up his mind. "Did I understand you to say that -Mrs. Quack said that if Mr. Quack is alive, he probably is hiding -among the rushes along the banks of the Big River?" he asked. - -Peter nodded. - -"And that she said that she doesn't dare go near the banks because -of fear of the terrible guns?" - -Again Peter nodded. - -"Well, if that's the case, what is the matter with some of us who -are not afraid of the terrible guns looking for Mr. Quack?" said -Sammy. "I will, for one, and I'm quite sure that my cousin, Blacky -the Crow, will, for another. He surely will if he thinks it will -spoil the plans of any hunters. Blacky would go a long distance to -do that. He hates terrible guns and the men who use them. And he -knows all about them. He has very sharp eyes, has Blacky, and he -knows when a man has got a gun and when he hasn't. More than that, -he can tell better than any one I know of just how near he can -safely go to one of those terrible guns. He is smart, my cousin -Blacky is, and if he will help me look for Mr. Quack, we'll find -him if he is alive." - -"That will be splendid!" cried Peter, clapping his hands. "But -aren't you afraid of those terrible guns, Sammy?" - -"Not when the hunters are trying for Ducks," replied Sammy. "If -there is a Duck anywhere in sight, they won't shoot at poor little -me or even at Blacky, though they would shoot at him any other time. -You see, they know that shooting at us would frighten the Ducks. -Blacky knows all about the Big River. In the winter he often gets -considerable of his food along its banks. I've been over there a -number of times, but I don't know so much about it as he does. Now -here is my plan. I'll go find Blacky and tell him all about what -we want to do for Mrs. Quack. Then, when Mrs. Quack comes back -to the Smiling Pool, if she hasn't found Mr. Quack, we'll tell her -what we are going to do and what she must do. She must swim right -up the Big River, keeping out in the middle where she will be safe. -If there are any hunters hiding along the bank, they will see her, -and then they won't shoot at Blacky or me because they will keep -hoping that Mrs. Quack will swim in near enough for them to shoot -her. Blacky will fly along over one bank of the Big River, and I -will do the same over the other bank, keeping as nearly opposite -Mrs. Quack as we can. Being up in the air that way and looking -down, we will be able to see the hunters and also Mr. Quack, if -he is hiding among the rushes. Are you quite sure that Mrs. Quack -will come back to the Smiling Pool to-night?" - -"She said she would," replied Peter. "Last night she came just a -little while before dark, and I think she will do the same thing -to-night, to see if any more corn has been left for her. You know -Farmer Brown's boy put some there yesterday, and it tasted so good -to her that I don't believe she will be able to stay away, even if -she wants to. I think your plan is perfectly splendid, Sammy Jay. -I do hope Blacky the Crow will help." - -"He will. Don't worry about that," replied Sammy. "Hello! There -goes Farmer Brown's boy over to the Smiling Pool now." - -"Then there will be some more corn for Mrs. Quack. I just know -it!" cried Peter. "He is going to see if Mrs. Quack is there, and -I just know he has his pockets full of corn." - -"I wouldn't mind a little of it myself," said Sammy. "Well, I must -go along to hunt up Blacky. Good-by, Peter." - -"Good-by and good luck," replied Peter. "I've always said you are not -half such a bad fellow as you try to make folks think you are, Sammy -Jay." - -"Thanks," said Sammy, and started for the Green Forest to look for -his cousin, Blacky the Crow. - - - - -XV - -THE HUNT FOR MR. QUACK - - -In spite of her hopelessness in regard to Mr. Quack, there is no -doubt that Mrs. Quack felt better that night after she had eaten -the corn left among the rushes of the Smiling Pool by Farmer Brown's -boy. Now she had that very comfortable feeling that goes with a -full stomach, she could think better. As the Black Shadows crept -across the Smiling Pool, she turned over in her mind Sammy Jay's -plan for helping her the next day. The more she thought about it, -the better it seemed, and she began to feel a little ashamed that -she had not appeared more grateful to Sammy when he told her. At -the time she had been tired and hungry and discouraged. Now she -was beginning to feel rested, and she was no longer hungry. These -things made all the difference in the world. As she thought over -Sammy's plan, she began to feel a little hope, and when at last -she put her head under her wing to go to sleep, she had made up -her mind that the plan was worth trying, and that she would do her -part. - -Bright and early the next morning, Sammy Jay and Blacky the Crow -were in the Big Hickory-tree near the Smiling Pool ready to start -for the Big River to hunt for Mr. Quack. Peter Rabbit had been so -afraid that he would miss something that he had stayed near the -Smiling Pool all night, so he was on hand to see the start. - -It had been agreed that Mrs. Quack was to go to a certain place on -the Big River and then swim up as far as she thought it would be -of any use. She was to stay in the middle of the river, where she -would be quite safe from hunters with terrible guns, and where also -these same hunters would be sure to see her and so not be tempted -to shoot at Blacky the Crow if he happened to fly over them. You -see, they would hope that Mrs. Quack would swim in near enough to -be shot and so would not risk frightening her by shooting at Blacky. - -When Mrs. Quack had finished her breakfast, she started for the -Big River, and her stout wings moved so swiftly that they made a -whistling sound. Sammy Jay and Blacky the Crow followed her, but -though they flew as fast as they could, Mrs. Quack had reached -the Big River before they had gone half the way. When they did get -there, they saw Mrs. Quack out in the middle, swimming about and -watching for them. Blacky flew across the river and pretended to -be hunting for food along the farther bank, just as every hunter -knows he often does. Sammy Jay did the same thing on the other -bank. - -Mrs. Quack swam slowly up the Big River, keeping in the middle, -and Blacky and Sammy followed along up the two banks, all the time -using their sharp eyes for all they were worth to find Mr. Quack -hiding among the broken-down rushes or under the bushes in the -water, for the Big River had overflowed its banks, and in some -places bushes and trees were in the water. - -Now Sammy Jay dearly loves to hunt for things. Whenever he knows -that one of his neighbors in the Green Forest has hidden something, -he likes to hunt for it. It isn't so much that he wants what has -been hidden, as it is that he wants to feel he is smart enough to -find it. When he does find it, he usually steals it, I'm sorry to -say. But it is the fun of hunting that Sammy enjoys most. So now -Sammy thoroughly enjoyed hunting for Mr. Quack. He peered into every -likely hiding-place and became so interested that he quite forgot -about the hunters who might be waiting along the bank. - -So it happened that he didn't see a boat drawn in among the bushes -until he was right over it. Sitting in it was a man with a terrible -gun, very intently watching Mrs. Quack out in the middle of the -Big River. Sammy was so startled that before he thought he opened -his mouth and screamed "Thief! thief! thief!" at the top of his -lungs, and flew away with all his might. Mrs. Quack heard his scream -and understood just what it meant. - -A little later Blacky the Crow discovered another hunter hiding -behind the bushes on his side. "Caw! caw! caw!" shouted Blacky, -flying out over the water far enough to be safe from that terrible -gun he could see. - -"Quack! quack!" replied Mrs. Quack, which meant that she understood. -And so the hunt went on without a sign of poor Mr. Quack. - - - - -XVI - -SAMMY JAY SEES SOMETHING GREEN - - -For all their peeking and peering among the broken-down rushes and -under the bushes along the banks of the Big River, and no sharper -eyes ever peeked and peered, Sammy Jay and Blacky the Crow had -found no sign of the missing Mr. Quack. - -"I guess Mrs. Quack was right and that Mr. Quack was killed when -he was shot," muttered Sammy to himself. "Probably one of those -hunters had him for dinner long ago. Hello! There's another hunter -up where the Laughing Brook joins the Big River! I guess I won't -take any chances. I'd like to find Mr. Quack, but Sammy Jay is a -lot more important to me than Mr. Quack, and that fellow just might -happen to take it into his head to shoot at me." - -So Sammy silently flew around back of the hunter and stopped in a -tree where he could watch all that the man did. For some time Sammy -sat there watching. The hunter was sitting behind a sort of fence -of bushes which quite hid him from any one who might happen to be -out on the Big River. But of course Sammy could see him perfectly, -because he was behind him. Out in front of that little fence, which -was on the very edge of the water, were a number of what Sammy -at first took to be some of Mrs. Quack's relatives. "Why doesn't -he shoot them?" thought Sammy. He puzzled over this as he watched -them until suddenly it came into his head that he hadn't seen one -of them move since he began watching them. The man changed his -position, and still those Ducks didn't move, although some of them -were so near that they simply couldn't have helped knowing when the -hunter moved unless they were more stupid than any one of Sammy's -acquaintance. - -This was very curious, very curious indeed. Sammy flew a little -nearer and then a little nearer, taking the greatest care not to -make a sound. Pretty soon he was so near that he could see those -Ducks very plainly, and he stared with all his might. He couldn't -see any feathers! No, Sir, he couldn't see any feathers! Then he -understood. - -"Huh!" said he to himself. "Those are not Ducks at all. They are -just pieces of wood made to look like Ducks. Now I wonder what they -are for." - -In a few minutes he found out. He saw the hunter crouch down a -little lower and look down the Big River. Sammy looked too. He saw -a flock of real Ducks flying swiftly just above the middle of the -Big River. Suddenly the leader turned straight towards the place -where the hunter was hiding, and the others followed him. He could -hear Mrs. Quack calling excitedly out in the middle of the Big -River, but the strangers did not heed her. They had their eyes on -those wooden Ducks and were coming straight in to join them. - -"They think they are real Ducks and so this place is perfectly -safe!" thought Sammy. He saw the hunter make ready to shoot with his -terrible gun and then, without stopping to think what might happen -to him, he opened his mouth and screamed at the top of his voice. -He saw the Ducks suddenly swing out towards the middle of the Big -River and knew that they had heard his warning. He saw the hunter -suddenly rise and point his gun at the flying Ducks. He heard the -bang, bang of the terrible gun, but not one of the flock was hit. The -distance was too great. Sammy chuckled happily. Then he remembered -that he himself was within easy reach of that terrible gun, and -probably the hunter was very angry. In great fright Sammy turned -and flew, dodging behind trees and every second expecting to hear -again the roar of that terrible gun. - -But he didn't, and so when he thought he was safe, he stopped. Now -in flying away from the hunter he had followed the Laughing Brook -where it winds through a sort of swamp before it joins the Big -River. Because there was more water than could be kept between the -banks of the Big River, it had crept over the banks, and all the -trees of the swamp were standing in water. Just beyond where Sammy -was sitting was a pile of brush in the water. A Jolly Little Sunbeam, -dancing down through the tree tops, touched something under the -edge of the brush, and Sammy's sharp eyes caught a flash of green. -Idly he watched it, and presently it moved. Instantly Sammy was -all curiosity. He flew over where he could see better. - -"Now what can that be?" thought Sammy, as he peered down at the -pile of brush and tried to see under it. - - - - -XVII - -MR. QUACK IS FOUND AT LAST - - -Sammy Jay's eyes sparkled as he watched that spot of green under the -pile of brush in the swamp through which the Laughing Brook finds -its way to join the Big River. All around was water, for you know -it was spring, and the melting snows on the hills way up where the -Big River has its beginning were pouring more water into the Big -River than its banks would hold as it hurried down to the Great -Ocean. It just couldn't hurry fast enough to take all that water -down as fast as it ran into the Big River, and so the water had -crept over the banks in places. It had done this right here in the -little swamp where Sammy was. - -Sammy sat perfectly still, for he learned long ago that only by -keeping perfectly still may one see all that is to be seen. That -green spot had moved. He was sure of that. And if it moved, it -must be something alive. If it were alive, it must be somebody, -and Sammy wanted to know who it was. Try as he would he couldn't -remember any one who wore such glossy green as that. So he sat -perfectly still, for he knew that if whoever was hiding under that -brush should even guess that he was being watched, he would not -come out. - -So, his eyes sparkling with excitement, Sammy watched. He was -impatiently patient. Did you know that it is possible to be impatiently -patient? Well, it is. Sammy was just boiling with impatience inside, -but he didn't let that impatience spoil the patience of his waiting. -He sat there just as still as still, with his eyes fixed on that -green spot, and you would never have guessed that he was fairly -bursting with impatience to know who it was he was watching. That -is what is called self-control. It means the power to make yourself -do a certain thing, no matter how much you may want to do something -else. It is a splendid thing to have, is self-control. - -After what seemed to Sammy a very long time, the green spot moved -again. Little by little something reached out from under the pile -of brush. It was a head, a very beautiful green head, and it was -exactly like Mrs. Quack's head, only hers was a sober brown instead -of green. Sammy choked back a little gasp of surprise as a sudden -thought popped into his head. Could this be the lost Mr. Quack? -He had forgotten that probably Mr. Quack dressed differently from -Mrs. Quack, and so of course he had been looking for some one all -in brown. There was the bang of a gun somewhere over on the Big -River, and the green head was hastily withdrawn under the bush, but -not before Sammy had seen a look of terrible fear in his eyes. "I -believe it IS Mr. Quack!" thought Sammy. "If it is, I'll have the -best news ever to tell Mrs. Quack. Just trust Sammy Jay to find -anything he goes looking for." - -This was just plain boasting, and Sammy knew it. But Sammy always -does have a good opinion of himself. It is one of his faults. He -quite lost sight of the fact that it was entirely by accident that -he had come over to this swamp. Now that he had guessed who this -might be, he was less impatient. He waited as still as you please, -and at last the green head was slowly stretched out again, and -Sammy could see that the neck was green, too, and that around the -neck was a white collar. Sammy could keep still no longer. - -[Illustration with caption: "Yes," said he in a low voice, "I am -Mr. Quack."] - -"Are you Mr. Quack?" he asked eagerly. - -The beautiful head disappeared like a flash. Sammy waited a minute -or two, before he repeated his question, adding: "You needn't be -afraid. There isn't anybody here but me, and I'm your friend. I -just want to know if you are Mr. Quack because I've been looking -for you for Mrs. Quack. Are you?" - -Slowly, looking this way and that way with fear and suspicion in -his eyes, a handsome Duck came out from under the pile of brush. -"Yes," said he in a low voice, "I am Mr. Quack. Where is Mrs. -Quack?" - -"Safe and sound over on the Big River," replied Sammy joyfully. -"Oh, I'm so glad I've found you!" - - - - -XVIII - -SAMMY JAY SENDS MRS. QUACK TO THE SWAMP - - -When Sammy Jay left Mr. Quack in the swamp over by the bank of the -Big River, he flew straight back to the Smiling Pool. At first he -thought of flying out over the Big River and screaming the news to -Mrs. Quack, who, you know, was swimming about out there. But he -knew that if he did, she would very likely fly right over where Mr. -Quack was, and that wouldn't do at all. No, indeed, that wouldn't -do at all. One of the hunters would be sure to see her. So Sammy -wisely flew back to the Smiling Pool to wait until Mrs. Quack should -come back there for the night. - -Of course he told Peter Rabbit all about Mr. Quack, and Peter was -so delighted at the thought that Mr. Quack was alive that he capered -about in quite the craziest way. "Does Mrs. Quack know yet?" asked -Peter. - -Sammy shook his head. "I'm going to tell her when she comes back -here to-night," he explained. "I was afraid if I told her before -then she would fly straight to him and perhaps get them both in -trouble." - -"Quite right, Sammy! Quite right!" Peter exclaimed. "I wouldn't -have thought of that. My, won't she be happy when you do tell her! -I wonder what she'll say and what she'll do. I'm going to stay right -here so as to see her when she hears the good news. Here comes your -cousin, Blacky the Crow. Does he know yet?" - -"No," replied Sammy, "but I'm going to tell him as soon as he gets -here." They watched Blacky draw nearer and nearer, and as soon -as he was within hearing Sammy shouted the news. "Caw, caw, caw," -replied Blacky, hurrying a little faster. - -As soon as he reached the Big Hickory-tree, Sammy told the whole -story over again, and Blacky was quite as glad as the others. While -they waited for Mrs. Quack he told how he had hunted and hunted -along the farther bank of the Big River and how he had seen the -hunters with their terrible guns hiding and had warned Mrs. Quack -just where each one was. - -Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was getting ready to go to bed behind -the Purple Hills and the Black Shadows were beginning to creep out -over the Green Meadows before Mrs. Quack came. In fact, Sammy Jay -and Blacky were getting very uneasy. It was almost bed-time for -them, for neither of them dared stay out after dark. They had almost -made up their minds to leave Peter to tell the news when they saw -Mrs. Quack coming swiftly from the direction of the Big River. She -looked so sad and discouraged that even Blacky the Crow was sorry -for her, and you know Blacky isn't much given to such feelings. - -"What's the news, Mrs. Quack?" asked Peter, his eyes dancing. - -"There isn't any," replied Mrs. Quack. - -"Oh, yes, there is!" cried Sammy Jay, who couldn't possibly keep -still any longer. - -"What is it?" demanded Mrs. Quack eagerly, and it seemed to Peter -that there was a wee bit of hope in her voice. - -"Did you happen to notice that just before the Laughing Brook joins -the Big River it flows through a little swamp?" asked Sammy. - -Mrs. Quack nodded her head rapidly. "What of it?" she demanded. - -"Nothing much, only if I were you I would go down there after dark," -replied Sammy. - -Mrs. Quack looked up at Sammy sharply. "Why should I go down there?" -she asked. - -"If I tell you, will you wait until I get quite through?" asked -Sammy in his turn. - -Mrs. Quack promised that she would. - -"Well, then," replied Sammy, "this afternoon I found a stranger -hiding in there, a stranger with a beautiful green head and neck -and a white collar." - -"Mr. Quack! Oh, it was Mr. Quack!" cried Mrs. Quack joyfully and -lifted her wings as if she would start for the swamp at once. - -"Stop!" cried Sammy sharply. "You said you would wait until I am -through. It won't do for you to go there until after dark, because -there is a hunter hiding very near Mr. Quack's hiding-place. -Wait until it is dark and he has gone home. Then take my advice, -and when you have found Mr. Quack, bring him right up here to the -Smiling Pool. He can't fly, but he can swim up the Laughing Brook, -and this is the safest place for both of you. Now good night and -good luck." - - - - -XIX - -JERRY MUSKRAT'S GREAT IDEA - - -A friendly friend is a friend indeed When he proves a friend -in the time of need. - -Mr. and Mrs. Quack had been so much taken up with each other and -with their troubles that they had quite forgotten they were not -alone in the Smiling Pool, which they had reached by swimming up -the Laughing Brook. So it happened that when Mrs. Quack suggested -that if Mr. Quack's wing got strong they might be able to find -a lonesome pond not too far away where they could make their home -for the summer, they were a little startled to hear a voice say: -"I know where there is one, and you will not have to fly at all to -get to it." Both jumped a little. You see their nerves had been -very much upset for a long time, and the least unexpected thing -made them jump. Then both laughed. - -"Hello, Jerry Muskrat! We'd forgotten all about you," said Mrs. -Quack. "What was that you said?" - -Jerry good-naturedly repeated what he had said. Mrs. Quack's face -brightened. "Do you really mean it?" she asked eagerly. "Do you -really mean that you know of a pond where we could live and not be -likely to be seen by these two-legged creatures called men?" - -"That's what I said," replied Jerry briefly. - -"Oh, Jerry, you're not joking, are you? Tell me you're not joking," -begged Mrs. Quack. - -"Of course I'm not joking," returned Jerry just a little bit -indignantly, "I am not the kind of a fellow to joke people who are -in such trouble as you and Mr. Quack seem to be in. The idea came -to me while you were talking. I couldn't help overhearing what you -were saying, and the minute you mentioned a lonesome pond, the idea -came to me, and I think it's a perfectly splendid idea. I know of -just the lonesomest kind of a lonesome pond, and you won't have to -fly a stroke to get to it. If you are smart enough not to be caught -by Reddy Fox or Hooty the Owl or Billy Mink or any of those people -who hunt for a living, there isn't any reason I know of why you -shouldn't spend the summer there in peace and comfort." - -Mrs. Quack's eyes fairly shone with hope and eagerness. "Oh, Jerry, -tell us where it is, and we'll start for it right away!" she cried. - -Jerry's eyes twinkled. "Of course, the owner of that pond might -not like to have neighbors. I hadn't thought of that," said he. -"Perhaps he ought to be asked first." - -Mrs. Quack's face fell. "Who is the owner?" she asked. - -"My cousin, Paddy the Beaver. He made it," replied Jerry proudly. - -Mrs. Quack's face lighted up again at once. "I'm sure he won't -object," said she. "We know a great many of the Beaver family. In -fact, they are very good neighbors of ours in our home in the far -Northland. I didn't suppose there was a Beaver pond anywhere around -here. Tell me where it is, Jerry, and I'll go right up there and -call on your cousin." - -"All you've got to do is to follow the Laughing Brook way back -into the Green Forest, and you'll come to Paddy's pond," said he. -"He made that pond himself two years ago. He came down from the Great -Woods and built a dam across the Laughing Brook way back there in -the Green Forest and gave us a great scare here in the Smiling Pool -by cutting off the water for a few days. He has got a very nice -pond there now. Honker the Goose and his flock spent a night in it -on their way south last fall." - -Mrs. Quack waited to hear no more. She shot up into the air and -disappeared over the tops of the trees in the Green Forest. - -"What do you think of my idea?" asked Jerry, as he and Mr. Quack -watched her out of sight. - -"I think it is great, just simply great," replied Mr. Quack. - - - - -XX - -HAPPY DAYS FOR MR. AND MRS. QUACK - - -Whose heart is true and brave and strong, Who ne'er gives up -to grim despair, Will find some day that skies are blue And -all the world is bright and fair. - -If you don't believe it, just ask Mr. and Mrs. Quack. They know. -Certainly the world never looked darker for any one than it did -for them when the terrible gun of a hunter broke Mr. Quack's wing -on the Big River and ended all their dreams of a home in the far -Northland. Then, through the help of Jerry Muskrat, they found -the lonely pond of Paddy the Beaver deep in the Green Forest, and -there, because their secret had been well kept, presently they -found peace and hope and then happiness. You see, the heart of Mrs. -Quack was true and brave and strong. She was the kind to make the -best of things, and she at once decided that if they couldn't have -their home where they wanted it, they would have it where they could -have it. She was determined that they should have a home anyway, -and Paddy the Beaver's little pond was not such a bad place after -all. - -So she wasted no time. She examined every inch of the shore of that -little pond. At last, a little back from the water, she found a -place to suit her, a place so well hidden by bushes that only the -sharpest eyes ever would find it. And a little later it would be -still harder to find, as she well knew, for all about clumps of -tall ferns were springing up, and when they had fully unfolded, not -even the keen eyes of Sammy Jay looking down from a near-by tree -would be able to discover her secret. There she made a nest on the -ground, a nest of dried grass and leaves, and lined it with the -softest and most beautiful of linings, down plucked from her own -breast. In it she laid ten eggs. Then came long weeks of patient -sitting on them, watching the wonder of growing things about her, -the bursting into bloom of shy wood flowers, the unfolding of leaves -on bush and tree, the springing up in a night of queer mushrooms, -which people call toadstools, and all the time dreaming beautiful -Duck dreams of the babies which would one day hatch from those -precious eggs. She never left them save to get a little food and -just enough exercise to keep her well and strong, and when she did -leave them, she always carefully pulled soft down over them to keep -them warm while she was away. - -Mr. Quack knew all about that nest, though he had taken no part -in building it and had no share in the care of those eggs. He was -very willing that she should do all the work and thought it quite -sufficient that he should be on guard to give warning if danger -should appear. So he spent the long beautiful days lazily swimming -about in the little pond, gossiping with Paddy the Beaver, and -taking the best of care of himself. The broken wing healed and grew -strong again, for it had not been so badly broken, after all. If -he missed the company of others of his kind which he would have -had during these long days of waiting had they been able to reach -their usual nesting-place in the far Northland, he never mentioned -it. - -Unknown to them, Farmer Brown's boy discovered where they were. -Later he came often to the pond and was content to sit quietly -on the shore and watch Mr. Quack, so that Mr. Quack grew quite -used to him and did not fear him at all. In fact, after the first -few times, he made no attempt to hide. You see he discovered that -Farmer Brown's boy was a friend. Always after he had left, there -was something good to eat near where he had been sitting, for Farmer -Brown's boy brought corn and oats and sometimes a handful of wheat. - -He knew, and Mr. Quack knew that he knew, that somewhere near was -a nest, but he did not try to find it much as he longed to, for he -knew that would frighten and worry Mrs. Quack. So the dear, precious -secret of Mr. and Mrs. Quack was kept, for not even Paddy the Beaver -knew just where that nest was, and in due time, early one morning, -Mrs. Quack proudly led forth for their first swim ten downy, funny -ducklings. - -[Illustration with caption: Those were happy days indeed for Mr. -and Mrs. Quack in the pond of Paddy the Beaver.] - -Oh, those were happy days indeed for Mr. and Mrs. Quack in the pond -of Paddy the Beaver, and in their joy they quite forgot for a time -the terrible journey which had brought them there. But finally the -Ducklings grew up, and when Jack Frost came in the fall, the whole -family started on the long journey to the sunny Southland. I hope -they got there safely, don't you? - -Among those whom Mr. and Mrs. Quack came to know very well while -they lived in the pond of Paddy the Beaver was that funny fellow -who wears rings on his tail--Bobby Coon. In the next book I will -tell you of some of Bobby's adventures. - -THE END - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Adventures of Poor Mrs. Quack, by -Thornton W. Burgess - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ADVENTURES OF POOR MRS. 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