At first it was very pleasant with the birds singing in the trees, and the wind blowing through the leaves, and making music, and Lulu liked it very much.  She found some fine eel grass in a little brook, and she was eating the green stems, and thinking how nice it was, when all at once she heard a funny noise.  It was just like when a great, big door swings on rusty hinges.

Lulu stopped eating eel grass at once, and she called right out loud: 

“My goodness!  What’s that?”

Then it was all still, and quiet; as quiet, you know, as when a little mouse walks along, and doesn’t want any one to hear him, going after the crackers and cheese, and maybe the jam tarts, too; who knows?  Well, it was just as still and quiet as it could be, when all of a sudden the noise came again.

“Oh, dear!” cried Lulu.  “I believe I’m going to be frightened.  I wish Jimmie was here!”

But Jimmie, the brave boy duck, was a long way off, playing ball with Bully, the frog, and his other friends, though he would have come at once to help his sister if he had known what a dreadful thing was almost going to happen to her.

Well, as I said, the noise sounded again, and then, when Lulu looked right at a tree, what should she see but something big and bushy, waving in the wind.

“Oh, maybe it’s Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, and perhaps Sister Sallie is with them!” she said, aloud, and she didn’t feel quite so frightened.  Then that terrible noise came again, and the bushy thing got bigger, and Lulu saw that it was the tail of a great, big black dog.  Oh, such a big black dog as it was!  And he was growling, and that’s what made the sound like a big door creaking on big, rusty hinges.

The dog came out from behind the tree, and he stared right in the face of Lulu, as bold as bold could be.

“Who are you?” growled the dog.

“If—­if you please, kind sir, I’m Lulu,” she answered.

“Bur-r-r-r!” growled the dog.  “I’m not a kind Sir at all.  I’m a bad dog!  Bur-r-r-r!  Bur-r-r-r!  What’s your last name?  Bur-r-r-r!”

“My last name is Wibblewobble, Bad Dog,” she replied.

“Bur-r-r-r!  What are you calling me names for?” he asked, and he showed his teeth something frightful, yes, indeed!  Now cuddle up close to me if you want to, and you won’t be a bit afraid, because, in a few minutes Lulu is going to be saved in a wonderful way.  Just you wait and see.

“Why do you call me names?” asked the dog again.

“I—­I—­If you please,” said Lulu, “I thought you said your name was Bad Dog, sir.”

“Bur-r-r-r!” cried the dog.  “I didn’t at all.  No matter what my name is.  I am a bad dog, however, and I’m proud of it!” Oh, wasn’t he the bold, ugly dog, though?  Then he looked at Lulu some more, and growled even louder, and he asked her: 

“What are you, a chicken or a turkey?”

“Neither,” replied Lulu, “I’m a duck, if you please.”