The Adventures of Poor Mrs Quack | Page 9

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