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. Quack would follow him . It was just then that a funny little sound reached him . It was half snort , half cough , as if some one had sniffed some water up his nose . There was something familiar about that sound . Mr. Quack decided to wait a few minutes longer . `` I 'll wait , '' thought Mr. Quack , `` until that thing , whatever it is , comes out of those Black Shadows into the moonlight . Somehow I have a feeling that we are in no danger . '' So Mr. and Mrs. Quack waited and watched . In a few minutes the thing that looked like the branch of a tree came out of the Black Shadows into the moonlight , and then the mystery was solved . It was a mystery no longer . They saw that they had mistaken the antlers of Lightfoot the Deer for the branch of a tree . Lightfoot was swimming across the Big River on his way back to his home in the Green Forest .
At once Mr. and Mrs. XXXXX swam out to meet him and to tell him how glad they were that he was alive and safe .
Beaver Forest Lightfoot Paddy Quack River Shadows danger minutes nose