Meanwhile, out in the kitchen, at the sink, something was happening.
Suddenly a water pipe burst. It did not make any noise, but the water
began trickling down over the floor in a flood. Right where the Nodding
Donkey stood, in the pretend cave, the water poured. It rose around the
legs of the Donkey, and he felt himself being lifted up and carried
across the kitchen toward the dining room door.

The burst pipe had caused a flood, and the Nodding Donkey was right in
it!




CHAPTER VIII

A BROKEN LEG


Had Mr. and Mrs. Richmond not been in the next room, the Nodding Donkey
might have kicked up his heels and have jumped out of the stream of
water that was running from the burst pipe of the sink across the floor.
But knowing people were so close at hand, where they might catch sight
of him, the Donkey dared not move.

All he could do was to float along with the stream of water, which was
now getting higher and higher and larger and larger. The water felt cold
on the legs of the Donkey, for this was now winter, and the water was
like ice. So the Nodding Donkey shivered and shook in the cold water of
the flood, and wondered what would happen.