e men were saying, for, though the Wibblewobbles couldn't talk
as the men did, they could understand our language.

"It's too bad," said the man who owned the pond. "Can't you go any
farther?"

"No," said the man who had the automobile, "I can't. You see my horn, that
I blow to tell people to get out of the way, is broken. I can't sound any
warning, and if I ran my machine I might hurt some one; and I wouldn't do
that for the world; no, not for two worlds, if you were to offer them to
me."

"That is very kind of you; very kind, indeed, I'm sure," went on the man
who owned the pond. "I am glad to have met you; and I wish I could help
you."

"I'm afraid you can't," answered the other. "I have to walk way down to
Newark, to get a new horn for my auto, so I can blow it, to warn people
out of the way."

So he started to walk off, and then what do you think happened? Why,
Jimmie Wibblewobble got so excited that he gave a loud "Quack-Quack!" Oh,
so loud and clear! As soon as the man who owned the auto heard it he cried
out, "My gracious goodness! What's that?"

"That," replied the man who owned the pond, "is one of my ducks. Doesn't
he speak very loudly?"

Then Jimmie, just to show what he could do, quacked again, harder than
before.

"Oh, extemporaneousness!" cried the auto man. "That is very fine quacking,
indeed. I never heard better. I have the greatest idea," he added. "Would
you be so kind as to lend me that little duck? I will bring him safely
back to you and not harm him in the least."

"What will you do with him?" asked the man who owned the pond.

"I will take him on the seat beside me," replied the other, "and maybe he
will go 'quack-quack' whenever a person gets in the way of my auto. Then
they will not be run over. Why, this little duck will be as good as an
auto horn! Will you let me take him?"

"I guess so," answered the other man. "But please do not frighten him, as
he is very little."

The man who owned the auto said he would be careful, and he went over to
where Jimmie was, and picked him right up.

Now I should have thought that Jimmie would have been frightened, but he
wasn't a bit, no, would you believe me, not a bit. So the man took him and
put him on the seat and started off in the auto. Jimmie knew exactly what
to do. Every time he came to a crossing he "quack-quacked" as loudly as he
could, without being told, and he did the same thing whenever he saw a
person in the way of the big mac