"What's he doing?" asked Alice.

"I guess he's going fishing," said Lulu, "for he has a fish pole over his
shoulder."

And, sure enough, that boy was going fishing! He walked on a little
farther, stepping on sticks and breaking them, and then he sat down on the
edge of the little brook and began to fish. Then the duck children weren't
so much afraid, and they watched him.

Pretty soon the boy pulled up his line with a jerk, but there wasn't
anything on it. Then he said:

"Oh, dear! That was a big fish, but he got away."

"I'm glad it got away," whispered Alice, "for I don't like to see the poor
fish caught."

Then, in about two quacks and a waddle, the boy pulled up his pole again,
and this time he didn't have anything on the hook, either. So he said
again:

"Oh, dear me, and an angle worm! That's two big fish that have gotten
loose."

Then he threw in his line again, and the next time when he pulled it up
something came with it. Something wiggily, and black and yellow and
red-spotted with wrinkly legs and a long snaky neck and head.

"Ker-thump!" it landed on the bank and the boy ran up to it. "Why, I've