very
well acquainted with them. In fact he visited them very often, for as
you know, Peter is simply brimming over with curiosity, and there were
wonderful things which Mr. and Mrs. Quack could tell him, for they are
great travelers.

Now once, as Mrs. Quack was telling Peter about the far-away Southland
where she and Mr. Quack and many other birds spend each winter, she
mentioned Old Ally the 'Gator. People who live where he does call him
just 'Gator, but you and I would call him Alligator.

At the mention of Old Ally, all Peter's curiosity was awakened, for Mrs.
Quack had said that foolish young ducks sometimes mistook him for an old
log floating in the water and didn't find out the difference until his
great mouth flew open and he swallowed them whole. At that Peter's eyes
threatened to pop right out of his head and every time he visited that
little pond he pestered Mrs. Quack with questions about Old Ally the
'Gator and Mrs. 'Gator. It seemed as if he couldn't think of anything
else. And when Mrs. Quack just happened to mention that little 'Gators
are hatched from eggs just as her own children are, it was almost too
much for Peter to believe.

"What?" he squealed, hopping up and down in excitement. "Do you mean to
tell me that anything as big as Old Ally, big enough to swallow you
whole, can come from an egg? I don't believe it! Besides, only birds lay
eggs."

"Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack,
Peter, you must take that back!"

cried Mrs. Quack.

"Why must I take it back?" demanded Peter.

"Because as usual you've let your tongue run loose, and that is a bad
habit, Peter. It certainly is a bad habit. How about the Snake family?"

"Oh!" said Peter, looking very foolish. "I forgot all about the Snakes.
They do lay eggs."

"And how about Spotty the Turtle? Didn't he come from an egg?" persisted
Mrs. Quack.

Peter looked more foolish than before, if that were possible. "Y-e-s,"
he replied slowly and reluctantly.

"Then don't be so quick to doubt a thing just because you've never seen
it," retorted Mrs. Quack. "I've seen Mrs. 'Gator build her nest more
than once, and I've seen her eggs, and I've seen the baby 'Gators; and
what is more, I'm not in the habit of telling things that I don't know
are so."

"I beg your pardon, Mrs. Quack." Peter was very humble. "I do indeed.
Please forgive me. Is--is Mrs. 'Gator's nest at all like yours?"

Peter seemed so truly sorry for having doubted he