Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-16

Mrs. Quack his mouth watered and
his stomach fairly ached with longing
as well as emptiness. Mrs. Quack
had been leading the way. and now
that they were fairly in the Smiling
Pool she swan about in a way that
told Reddy as plainly as words could
have that she knew all about the Smil-
ing Pool.
before thought Reddy. II guess
made mistake in staying away from
here so long. But he is a stranger
here. ] can tell that by the way he
acts. He doesn't feel at home here
My gracious. l wish I could swim like
Billy Mink or Little Joe otter. ] would
have one Of them in no time But
can't swim. so l must see just how
clever ] can be to catch one of them "
Mrs Quack was making a great fuss
about Mr.. Quack. swimming around
him and now and then touching him
ever so gently, all the time talking ia
him in low voice. Little by little
Reddy began to understand that some
AS soon as he suspected this he kept
his eyes mostly on Mr.. Quack, and SO
he discovered that while Mr.. Quack
sometimes lifted one wing he never
lifted the other.
That wing is hurt" thought Reddy
"I don't believe he can fly. That is
why they swan UP the Laughing
Brook instead Of flying here. If he
can't fly, so much the better for me.
He will be easier to catch than Mrs,
he doesn't act very strong He would
taste better if he were fat, but if he
isn't strong he will be easier to
catch"
the part of Reddy. 1t sounds so, but
think of Mr.. Quack's feelings 'I He
wasn't looking on Mr.. Quack as a per-
son, but as a dinner. and that made all
the difference in the world. You see
he didn't know anything about Mrs.
Quack's story. as did Peter Rabbit,
Jerry Muskrat, Sammy Jay and Blacky
the Crow.
After little Mrs. Quack led the wav
where the bulrushes grow. They We're
brown and broken down. for you know
they had been standing there all WIN
ter. Mr. and Mrs. Quack swan in
their heads. Anyway. that is what 1t
looked like. You see they were search
ing In the mud at the bottom for
something to eat. And they found it.
too. Farmer Browns Boy had been
over and scattered corn there that very
afternoon. How good it did taste to
Mr.. Quack, You know he had had
hardly a thing to eat since he was shot
over on the Big River. 1t seemed as
If he couldn't stand on his head fast
just long enough to get breath Of
air and then down he would plunge
it again.
This was Redhv's chance to got a
little nearer. While the heads Of both
Mr.. and Mrs. Ouack were under water
he crept up to the very edge of broken
down bulrushes. and there he once
more made himself as fiat as possible.
II they would swim in Just a little
nearer he would be able to reach one
of them with a single spring and still
not get into deep water. He wouldn't
mind getting his feet wet if only he
could get one Of those ducks.
But Mrs. Qusck was too wise a per-
son and had been through too much
to run any risks. AS they drew nearer
TO the shore she would wait until Mr..
Quack brought his head up before she
would plunge hers under. So. turn and
turn about. each kent watch while the
other hunted for the delicious corn.
When Mr.. Quack started to swim
little nearer Mrs. Ouark warned him
not to. and Mr.. Ouack had suffered
too much TO he willing to take any
chances. So Reddy Fox lay there
growing hungrier and hunerier, with
good dinner a splendid dinner, just
out of reach. And gentle Mistress
Moon looked down and smiled.