Lulu, Alice and Jimmie Wibblewobble | Page 6

also. Only,
sometimes, you know how it is, just when you want to be good and
make no trouble something is sure to happen; that is, most always. Well,
that's the way it was this time.
The papa and mamma ducks hadn't been gone more than half an hour
before Jimmie thought of something to do. Of course, he didn't know it
was mischief but it was, all the same.
It happened that at one end of the pond where the ducks lived there was
a waterfall. That is, the water ran from the pond, and fell over a high
wall of stones upon some more stones down below, and made a lot of
foam and a rushing, gurgling noise that was very cool in summer,
making you think of ice cream and all nice things like that. And besides
this there was, near the waterfall, a big mill, with a wheel that went
around and around, to grind the corn and grain.
Well, Jimmie's papa and mamma hadn't been gone more than half an
hour before the little boy duck called to Lulu and Alice. "Let's see how
near we can go to the waterfall," he said.
Now this was a very dangerous thing to do, because there was a strong
and swift current at the fall, and any one who went too near it might be
carried over. Mr. and Mrs. Wibblewobble knew this, and many times
had told their children to keep away. But, you see, Jimmie forgot, or

else didn't want to remember, so he called to his sisters, telling them to
see how near they could go.
"I'll not," spoke Alice. "And you hadn't better either, Jimmie. You
know what mamma said."
"Oh, well, the water's low now," replied Jimmie. "I don't believe there's
any danger. Come on, Lulu."
"All right," said Lulu. So she and Jimmie started to swim as close as
they could to the waterfall. But Alice stayed near shore, and who
should come along but Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy, the muskrat nurse
who was out for a walk. She told Alice about Sammie and Susie
Littletail, and said the little rabbit children were well.
Now all this while Jimmie and Lulu were swimming nearer and nearer
to the waterfall. They could hear the water splashing on the rocks
below, and they liked to listen to it.
"We had better stop," called Lulu, after a while.
"No, I'm going closer," declared Jimmie. "There is no danger; come
on!"
But just then Lulu felt something pulling her down toward where the
big wheel went around and around, and she got frightened. Then she
swam just as hard as she could toward shore, and called to her brother:
"Jimmie, don't go any closer! Come back!"
But Jimmie was a boy duck, and wanted to be brave, so he answered:
"I'm going just a little bit closer."
Now Lulu had a very hard time, indeed, getting to shore, as the current
was so strong, but she finally managed it. Jimmie, however, kept on
swimming nearer and nearer to the falls. Then, all at once, before you
could stick a pin in a cushion, what should take place but that the little
boy duck felt himself being pulled along by the rushing water, just as
the soap floats along when you pull the plug out of the bathtub. Oh,

how fast the water swept him along! Jimmie splashed and paddled with
all his might, and tried to swim ashore, where Lulu was anxiously
watching him, but he couldn't seem to move. There he was, being
carried along to the edge of the falls, with the cruel, sharp stones below,
and the big millwheel going around and around. Then Jimmie knew he
was in great danger, and he cried out: "Help! Help! Help!" three times,
as loudly as he could call.
Lulu and Alice heard him, and were much frightened. They started to
go to the aid of their brother, but Grandfather Goosey-Gander warned
them not to.
"But who will save Jimmie?" they cried.
"I will try to," answered the old gentleman duck.
So he got a rope and threw it to Jimmie, but the rope wasn't long
enough, and the poor little boy duck kept getting closer and closer to
the edge of the falls, and the big millwheel. Oh, how hard he was
swimming, but the water was stronger than he was.
"Get a board!" cried Bully, the frog, who came hopping along just then.
So the ducks and the geese got a board and threw it to Jimmie, but it
floated past him, and he couldn't get upon it. Then it surely did look as
if he were going to be carried right over the falls, for he was being
swept nearer and more near, and he