Yes , Sir , it was very mysterious . Mr. Quack thought so . Mrs. Quack thought so . There , out in the Big River , in the midst of the Black Shadows , was something which looked like the branch of a tree . But instead of moving down the river , as the branch of a tree would if it were floating , this was coming straight across the river as if it were swimming . But how could the branch of a tree swim ? That was too much for Mr. Quack . It was too much for Mrs. Quack . So they sat perfectly still among the brown stalks of the wild rice along the edge of the Big River , and not for a second did they take their eyes from that strange thing moving towards them . They were ready to spring into the air and trust to their swift wings the instant they should detect danger . But they did not want to fly unless they had to . Besides , they were curious . They were very curious indeed . They wanted to find out what that mysterious thing moving through the water towards them was . So Mr. and Mrs. Quack watched that thing that looked like a swimming branch draw nearer and nearer , and the nearer it drew the more they were puzzled , and the more curious they felt . If it had been the pond of Paddy the Beaver instead of the Big River , they would have thought it was Paddy swimming with a branch for his winter food pile . But Paddy the Beaver was way back in his own pond , deep in the Green Forest , and they knew it . So this thing became more and more of a mystery . The nearer it came , the more nervous and anxious they grew , and at the same time the greater became their curiosity . At last Mr. Quack felt that not even to gratify his curiosity would it be safe to wait longer .
He prepared to spring into the air , knowing that Mrs. XXXXX would follow him .
Beaver Forest Paddy Quack River pond rice second stalks trust