"If you had such hard work getting to the top of the fence, how do you think you can fly across the pond?" he asked, and then he sneezed three times, for he was catching cold.
"Oh, we will do it," answered Jimmie, for, of course, you see, he really thought he could.
But something is going to happen, just as sure as you can add up two and three and make five out of them.
"Are you all ready?" asked the wild duck of Jimmie and Lulu, as they stood beside him, balanced on the fence rail.
"Yes," replied Jimmie, trying to stop his heart from beating so rapidly, "we are ready, Mr. Wild Duck. You fly and we will fly also."
"Watch me carefully," said the beautiful creature, "and do exactly as I do."
They were just about to fly, when the old rooster, who had been picking up corn down the road, come running up.
"Hold on!" he cried, "I can fly as good as that wild duck! Wait for me and we will have a race!"
So they waited until the old rooster got up on the fence rail, too. Then the wild duck counted: "One to begin with, two for a show, three to make ready and four to go!"
Then he flapped his wings, gave a loud "squawk-squawk" and sailed over that pond as nice as you please.