Lulu, Alice and Jimmie Wibblewobble | Page 7

could hear the water making a
terrible roaring, splashing sound on the rocks. You have no idea how
scared Jimmie was, and he wished he had never gone near the falls.
Then the other ducks got a long stick and Grandfather Goosey-Gander
held it out, so the little boy duck could grasp it in his bill, but the stick
broke, and every one said it was too bad! Then, just as Jimmie was
almost to the edge of the falls, if Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy didn't call
out: "Stand aside, everybody! I am a good swimmer and I will save
him!"
Then what do you think happened? Why that good, kind muskrat
jumped right into the water, and hurried to where Jimmie was. She

dived down, and got hold of his yellow legs in her teeth, but she took
hold very gently, so as not to hurt him. Then she was such a fine
swimmer that she managed to get to shore, towing and pulling Jimmie
with her, for the water could not hurt Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy, no
matter how hard the millwheel splashed.
So that is how Jimmie was saved from the waterfall, and when his papa
and mamma came home they were very glad, of course, and why
shouldn't they be? But, all the same Lulu and Jimmie had to be
punished for disobeying, and going too near the falls when they had
been told not to, and their punishment was that they could not go in
swimming for three days. And if you ever were a duck you know that
was very severe punishment indeed, very severe.
But I'm not going to say that Jimmie and Lulu didn't deserve it, no
indeed I'm not; not if you were to offer me an orange and a half; and
I'm very fond of oranges; very. Well, that's how things will sometimes
happen in this world, won't they? do the best that you can. But now I
suppose you want to know what the story will be about to-morrow
night. Well, if I see a pink grasshopper, I shall tell you about a visit the
Wibblewobble children paid to poor, sick, Billie Bushytail.

STORY V
A VISIT TO BILLIE BUSHTAIL
You remember how Lulu and Jimmie had to be punished for
disobeying their papa and mamma, and going too near the waterfall, I
suppose? They couldn't go in swimming for three days. Well, the three
days were very nearly up; that is there was just one day left, so Lulu
said:
"Come on, Jimmie, we will go for a walk in the woods. Don't you want
to come, too, Alice?"
Now, of course, Alice could go in the water if she wanted to, for she
was not punished, as she had not gone near the waterfall, but instead of

going swimming alone, she stayed with her brother and sister, and I call
that very kind of her. So, when Lulu asked her to take a walk in the
woods, Alice answered:
"Of course, I will go with you. Who knows, perhaps we may have an
adventure!" For you see Alice was very romantic. That is, she always
hoped something would happen that never had happened before, and
she was always hoping a fairy prince would come along and rescue her
from some danger. But, up to this time, nothing like this had ever
occurred, though those duck children are going to have a small
adventure pretty soon, I think.
"All right," spoke Jimmie, "let's take a walk, and see what happens." So
they walked on through the woods, which were very fine that day, and
they felt the nice, warm, brown earth on their yellow feet, and it was
almost as good as going in the water. Pretty soon, just after they had
passed under a buttonball tree, the ducklings heard a noise, and who
should run out from under a bush but little Sister Sallie. You remember
her, I hope; Sister Sallie, who was named after Lolly-pop-Lally, and
who lived with Johnnie and Billie Bushytail.
"Why, Sister Sallie!" cried Lulu Wibblewobble, "where are you going
this bright, beautiful, sunshiny day?"
"I'm going for the doctor," answered Sister Sallie.
"Are you sick?" inquired Jimmie. "You don't look so."
"No, it's Billie Bushytail," said the little girl squirrel. "He is quite ill,
and I am going for Dr. Possum. Billie has a fever and headache, and he
snuffles something terrible. His papa and mamma are quite worried
about him. Isn't it terrible to be sick?"
"I don't know," answered Jimmie, "for I was never sick."
"I was once," remarked Alice, "and it is not nice, I do assure you.
Suppose we go call on Billie Bushytail Maybe we could cheer him up."

"I think that would be lovely," spoke Sister Sallie. "You go see