One day she spied some hemp-seed lying on the surface of the pond, and after it she went. Hoppy Toad, who chanced to be enjoying a swim in the pond, noticed a trap had been set for her, and swimming to her side, he whispered a warning.
“Don’t bother with that hemp-seed,” he said, “else you will soon be a dead duck.”
She was rather startled by Hoppy Toad’s words of warning, but she obeyed him, gliding away from the hemp-seed swiftly. Hoppy Toad swam along behind her until an out-of-the-way cove was reached.
“How did you happen to discover that there was a trap set for me?” asked Jenny Wild Duck.
“I always keep my wits about me,” said Hoppy Toad. “I watched two men set out a decoy early this morning—I’m always up bright and early. I thought that they were after wild ducks like yourself, for Pa Toad has often told me of these decoys, and how they try to trap innocent wild ducks.”
“I am a thousand times thankful to you for saving my life,” said Jenny Wild Duck. “I’m afraid I will never have a chance to repay you for your kindness.”
“That is all right,” said Hoppy Toad. “I don’t expect you to repay me for doing my duty.”
“That is a good way to look at it,” said Jenny Wild Duck. “I’ll have to warn my husband, Johnny Drake, to steer clear of the decoy.”
“That is a good idea,” said Hoppy Toad. “The both of you had better keep your eyes open in the future and not be led into a trap. It is a shame that human beings should use such unfair means to trap innocents who never harm or destroy anything.”
“It doesn’t seem right,” said Jenny Wild Duck, “but some people don’t know right from wrong.”