It is curious, very
curious, how sometimes curiosity will get the best of even the wisest
and most sensible of people. Even Old Granny Fox herself has been known
to be led into trouble by it. We expect it of Peter Rabbit, but Peter
isn't a bit more curious than some others of whom we do not expect it.

Now Quacker the Wild Duck is the last one in the world you would expect
to be led into trouble by curiosity. Quacker had spent the summer in the
Far North with Honker the Goose. In fact, he had been born there. He had
started for the far away Southland at the same time Honker had, but when
he reached the Big River he had found plenty to eat and had decided to
stay until he had to move on. The Big River had frozen over everywhere
except in this one place where the water was too swift to freeze, and
there Quacker had remained. You see, he was a good diver and on the
bottom of the river he found plenty to eat. No one could get at him
out there, unless it were Roughleg the Hawk, and if Roughleg did happen
along, all he had to do was to dive and come up far away to laugh and
make fun of Roughleg. The water couldn't get through his oily feathers,
and so he didn't mind how cold it was.

Now in his home in the Far North there were so many dangers that Quacker
had early learned to be always on the watch and to take the best of care
of himself. On his way down to the Big River he had been hunted by men
with terrible guns, and he had learned all about them. In fact, he felt
quite able to keep out of harm's way. He rather prided himself that
there was no one smart enough to catch him.

I suspect he thought he knew all there was to know. In this respect he
was a good deal like Reddy Fox himself. That was because he was young.
It is the way with young Ducks and Foxes and with some other youngsters
I know.

When Quacker first saw Granny Fox on the little beach, he flirted his
absurd little tail and smiled as he thought how she must wish she could
catch him. But so far as he could see, Granny didn't once look at him.

"She doesn't know I'm out here at all," thought Quacker. Then suddenly
he sat up very straight and looked with all his might. What under the
sun was the matter with that Fox? She was acting as if she had suddenly
lost her senses.

Over and over she rolled. Around and around she spun. She turned
somersaults. She lay on her back and kicked her heels in the air.
Never in his life had he known any one to act like that. Th