A pale moon came out from behind the clouds and my father could see where the voice was coming from. The crocodile's head was just peeping out of the water.
"Oh, no thank you," said my father. "I never swim after sundown, but I do have something sweet to offer you. Perhaps you'd like a lollipop, and perhaps you have friends who would like lollipops, too?"
"Lollipops!" said the crocodile. "Why, that is a treat! How about it, boys?"
A whole chorus of voices shouted, "Hurrah! Lollipops!" and my father counted as many as seventeen crocodiles with their heads just peeping out of the water.
"That's fine," said my father as he got out the two dozen pink lollipops and the rubber bands. "I'll stick one here in the bank.
Lollipops last longer if you keep them out of the water, you know.
Now, one of you can have this one."
The crocodile who had first spoken swam up and tasted it. "Delicious, mighty delicious!" he said.
"Now if you don't mind," said my father, "I'll just walk along your back and fasten another lollipop to the tip of your tail with a rubber band. You don't mind, do you?"