"Well, er--ahem! The wind is blowing too much," said the rooster, when he
felt the nice, warm water.

"Why, it doesn't blow at all," answered Jimmie.

"Well, I haven't my swimming shoes on," objected Mr. Cock A. Doodle. "I
can't swim without them. You ducks have pieces of skin between your toes,
so the water won't slip through, but I haven't my webbed feet on."

"Oh, that is very easily fixed," said Lulu. "We will take some pieces of
cloth, and tie them over your claws to make them like ours. Do you think
you could swim then?"

"Yes," answered the rooster, "I think I could." You see he had no more
excuses to make. Oh, wasn't he a tricky old rooster, though, eh?

So Lulu and Jimmie got some bits of cloth, and, with long pieces of ribbon
grass, they bound the cloth on the rooster's claws so his feet looked
something like a duck's.

"Now come on and we'll have a swimming race," suggested Jimmie. "Walk
right down into the water as we do. It won't hurt you the least bit, Mr.
Doodle."

"Pooh! Do you think I'm afraid?" inquired Mr. Doodle, and he actually did
walk right into the water, while all the ducks and chickens and geese
looked on in wonder, for they had never seen the rooster swim, and didn't
believe he could. Oh, but Mr. Doodle was proud! He even tried to crow as
he stepped into the water, but, as he wasn't used to it, it made his
breath feel just as if it were choking him when he tried to swallow.