Well, that night Jimmie thought of a plan. He decided he would catch
the bad burglar, or whoever it was that had taken the eggs, for the little
boy duck thought if they took three eggs they would come back for more.

"I'm going to hide in the pantry to-night," he said to Lulu and Alice,
"and when the burglar comes I'm going to grab him."

"Won't you be afraid?" asked Alice, shivering.

"Afraid? Humph! I guess not," replied her brother.

So that night, after every one had gone to bed, and it was all still and
quiet in the house, and Aunt Lettie was snoring the least little bit,
Jimmie crawled softly out of bed. Oh, so softly, and went and hid in the
pantry.

It was dark, so he took a candle and was all ready to light it whenever he
heard a sound. Well, he had to wait quite some time, and it was getting
pretty lonesome, and he was beginning to feel sleepy when, all of a
sudden, he heard a noise! Then he heard another noise, and then a
scratching and a squeaking. Then he lighted the candle as quickly as he
could, and what do you suppose he saw?

Why, two great big rats, no relation to good, kind Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy,
the muskrat, oh, not at all, but two other bad rats!

Well, as true as I'm telling you, if one rat didn't climb up on the
shelf, where the duck eggs were in the basket, and take one up in his
paws; and then what do you suppose he did? Why, he went to the edge of the