Not know how to swim! The ducklings could hardly believe it. “Why, what do you do when you go in the water?” they asked.
“We don’t go in the water!”
The ducklings stared at them with pity and surprise. They had never heard of such a thing as not going in the water. Then Squdge had a bright idea. “I know!” he cried; “let’s give the chicks a ride on the river. We’ll get a big leaf and have it for a boat, and then the chicks can get on it, and we’ll pull it.”
The chicks did not like the idea very much. They were afraid. But the ducklings were so eager about it that they hardly knew how to say no.
Squdge found a big leaf and he and the others nipped it off with their sharp beaks, and pulled it down into the river. “Now get on it,” they shouted joyously.
“But we’re afraid,” whimpered the chicks.
“Oh, come on! it won’t hurt you. You’ll just love it, it’s such fun.”
Timidly the chicks stepped onto the leaf, and huddled together in the middle of it while the ducklings pulled it out into the stream.
“Faster, faster,” cried Squdge, holding the stem with his beak, and swimming as hard as he could. “Here! Take it around this rock.”