This time it went:  “Tinkle-tankle!  Tinkle-tankle!  Tinkle-tank—­” just like that.

“Why!” exclaimed Jimmie.  “I wonder what that can be?”

Then he went on a little farther, and he came out of the deep, dark dingle-dell, and he heard the bell more plainly still.  This time it rang very rapidly, and right after it Jimmie heard a loud voice calling:  “Moo!  Moo!  Moo!  Help me, will you; will you?”

“Why!” cried Jimmie.  “That’s a cow!”

Then, in another moment he came from behind a big tree, and what should he see but a big, black cow, standing in a swamp.  The cow was shaking her head and shaking her horns at the same time, and ringing the bell, which was fastened around her neck by a strap, and she was mooing as hard as she could moo.

“Why, what’s the matter?” asked Jimmie, wobbling up quite close to her.  “What ever is the matter?”

“Lots and lots is the matter,” answered the cow.  “But aren’t you afraid of me, little boy duck; afraid of me and my sharp horns?”

“Why no,” answered Jimmie, after he had thought it over for a minute or two.  “I don’t believe I am afraid of you.  Why should I be afraid?”

“No reason at all; none in the world,” replied the cow.  “But since I’m in trouble so many creatures seem to be afraid of me.  I saw a frog hopping past, and I asked him to help me, but I guess he was afraid I’d step on him, so he wouldn’t come near, but hopped off as far as he could.”

“That must have been Bully,” said Jimmie.  “He’s afraid of lots of things.  But maybe he was in a hurry,” he added, for he did not want to say that Bully was afraid if the frog wasn’t frightened, you know.

“Well,” agreed the cow, “maybe he was.  Then a rabbit boy hopped past, and I asked him to help me, but he was afraid, too.”

“That must have been Sammie Littletail,” said Jimmie.  “But I don’t believe he was afraid.  Sammie is very brave.  Maybe he was in a hurry.”

“Well,” admitted the cow, “maybe he was.  But then two little squirrel boys came along, and I asked them to help me, but they ran away, frisking their tails.  I guess they were afraid.”

“No,” answered Jimmie, “they weren’t afraid.  They were Billie and Johnnie Bushytail, and the reason they ran was to get some one to help you, for they are very kind.  Maybe Bully and Sammie will bring some one to help you, also.  But what seems to be the matter?”

“My foot is caught under a stone,” said the cow, and she blinked her big brown eyes as fast as she could.  In fact, they opened and shut so rapidly that big tears came from them, and splashed down her nose.

“Oh!  I am so sorry!” cried Jimmie.  “Your foot caught under a stone!”

“Wait a minute!  Hold on!” exclaimed the cow.  “That is not the worst of it!  You have not heard all!  My foot is under a stone, and the stone is under water, so I can’t see to get my foot out.  That’s why I feel so badly about it.  You can see for yourself, Johnnie—­”