Yes, he tried to crow, but all the noise he could make was a sort of a
gasp and a sigh and a cough and a splutter and a sneeze and choke and a
whimper.

"Ha! Aha! Ahem! Ha! Ha! Ho! Ho I will now swim" cried the rooster, and
then the water got so deep that he couldn't wade any more, and he had to
float. He struck out with his feet, and tried to paddle just as he saw
Lulu and Alice and Jimmie doing, but a very funny thing happened.

The rooster went right around in a circle, for he only used one leg at a
time. Then he got dizzy, and went around the other way. Then he had to
stop. Next he flapped his wings and splashed the water all over.

Say, I wish you could have seen him. It was as good as a circus! He got
his tail all wet, and his back got all wet, and, as his feathers weren't
the kind that water runs off from, he was soon as soaked as your umbrella
ever was. That made him heavy and he began to sink. Oh, how he splashed
and spluttered around in that pond! He couldn't swim any more than my
typewriter can, and, all at once, what do you suppose happened?

Why, he felt himself sinking more and more and more. Oh, it was terrible!

"Save me! Oh, save me!" Mr. Doodle cried. "I am going down! Help me,
please! Help! Help! Help!"

Then the duck children felt sorry, and swam to him as fast as they could.
Each one took hold of that poor rooster; Lulu and Alice by a wing, and
Jimmie by the rooster's tail, and they towed him to shore. Oh, but he was
a sorry looking sight! He couldn't even crow, nor flap his wings.