Out in the dining room, next the kitchen, sat Joe's father and mother.
They were silent and sad, thinking of their lame boy.

They were thinking so much about him, and what the doctors would have to
do to him to make him well and strong, that neither of them paid any
heed to the running water. If they had not been thinking so much about
Joe they might have heard the hissing sound.

But suddenly Mrs. Richmond, who was looking at the floor, gave a start,
and half arose from her chair.

"Look!" she cried to her husband. "There is Joe's Nodding Donkey!"

"Why!" exclaimed Mr. Richmond, "it is floating along on a stream of
water! The frost has made a pipe burst in the kitchen and the water is
spurting out! Quick! We must shut off the running water!"

It did not take Joe's father long to shut off the water from the burst
pipe. That was all that could be done then, as no plumber could be had.
Mrs. Richmond lifted the Donkey up off the floor and out of the water,
drying him on a towel. And you may well believe that the Donkey was very
glad to be warm and dry again. He was afraid his varnish coat would be
spoiled, but I am glad to say it was not.

"It's a lucky thing we sat here talking, and that I saw the Donkey come
floating in," said Mrs. Richmond, when the water had been mopped up. "If
I had not, the whole house might have been flooded by morning."

"Yes," agreed her husband. "Joe's Nodding Donkey did us a good turn. He
saved a lot of damage. The water in the kitchen will not do much harm,