if there were any signs of rain.

"I see a little cloud," said Bobby every few days. "Perhaps it will rain
to-day."

But the little cloud would float lazily across the sky and bring no
rain.

Every day the ducks would go in a procession down to the Duck Pond to
swim. Every day they would find the Duck Pond dry and come back, one
behind another, and take a drink from the tub of water at the pump.

And so five weeks passed.

At last, one day, big clouds gathered in the sky.

Bobby saw them first and came running in to tell the news.

"It's going to rain," he shouted. "See the big, big clouds."

Mother and Sue went to the door and looked out.

"It's surely going to rain," they said.

"I'll help put the windows down," said Bobby. And he ran to do it.

The men stopped work and put the horses in the barn, so they would not
get wet. The hens and chickens went under the shed. The cows in the
pasture went under the big trees.

It was not long before the lightning flashed and the thunder crashed
and the rain came down.

They all went to the Big South Window to watch the storm--Father,
Mother, John, Sue, Bobby and Betty.

"I like to watch a storm," said Bobby.

"It is a good sight," said Father. "Now the corn and potatoes will grow
and the fruit will stay on the trees."

"My flowers will blossom again," said Mother, "and we'll have water in
the cistern."

"I hope it will make the grass green," said Sue.

"I hope it will fill the Duck Pond," said Bobby, "so I can sail my boats
and the ducks can have a swim."

As they stood there, suddenly Bobby called out, "Oh, see the ducks!"
There they were in the rain, waddling around in the pools of water.

"Quack, quack, quack!" said the Big White Duck. "Isn't this grand?"

"Quack, quack, quack!" said the six other ducks, as they shook their
feathers and waggled their tails.

After the rain had stopped and the pools had begun to dry up, Bobby saw
the Big White Duck start off toward the Duck Pond.

All the other ducks followed, one behind another.

Down to the Duck Pond they went and found it full of water.

So all the ducks a-swimming went and were content.

[Illustration: THE RESCUE]

XII

The day after the big rain, Bobby and Rover were down at the Duck Pond.

Bobby would throw a stick out into the middle of the pond and shout,
"Get it, Rover."

Rover would jump into the water, swim out to the stick and bring it back
in his mouth. Nine times Bob