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.

Well, of course, I've got to tell exactly what happened, or it wouldn't be
fair. Jimmie tried to fly, but I wish you could have seen him. He only
went a little way, and then, because his body was too heavy for his wings,
or because his wings were too light for his body, he came flopping right
down to the ground, ker-thump, and he hurt his nose considerably, let me