Don't be afraid."

"Of course, I'll try," said Jimmie, very bravely, for he was always
wanting to try new things.

"So will I," cried Lulu. "I want to fly, too."

"Oh, you had better be careful," warned Alice, who was a very cautious
duckling, never getting into danger if she could help it.

"Oh, we'll be careful, but we are going to become flying machines just the
same," said Jimmie.

So the wild duck flew up on the fence, which was at one edge of the pond,
and, oh, how beautiful he looked with the sun shining on his finely
colored feathers. Jimmie had quite a struggle to get on the top rail of
the fence, and so did Lulu, but they finally managed it, and, just as they
stood beside the wild duck, who should come along but Grandfather
Goosey-Gander. He asked the two Wibblewobble children what they were going
to do, and when Jimmie said they were going to learn to become flying
machines, the old duck said, "Humph!" just as quickly as he could.

"If you had such hard work getting to the top of the fence, how do you
think you can fly across the pond?" he asked, and then he sneezed three
times, for he was catching cold.

"Oh, we will do it," answered Jimmie, for, of course, you see, he really
thought he could.

But something is going to happen, just as sure as you can add up two and
three and make five out of them.

"Are you all ready?" asked the wild duck of Jimmie and Lulu, as they stood
beside him, balanced on the fence rail.

"Yes," replied Jimmie, trying to stop his heart from beating so rapidly,
"we are ready, Mr. Wild Duck. You fly and we will fly also."

"Watch me carefully," said the beautiful creature, "and do exactly as I
do."

They were just about to fly, when the old rooster, who had been picking up
corn down the road, come running up.

"Hold on!" he cried, "I can fly as good as that wild duck! Wait for me and
we will have a race!"

So they waited until the old rooster got up on the fence rail, too. Then
the wild duck counted: "One to begin with, two for a show, three to make
ready and four to go!"

Then he flapped his wings, gave a loud "squawk-squawk" and sailed over
that pond as nice as you please.

Well, of course, I've got to tell exactly what happened, or it wouldn't be
fair. Jimmie tried to fly, but I wish you could have seen him. He only
went a little way, and then, because his body was too heavy for his wings,
or because his wings were too light for his body, he came flopping right