It happened that at one end of the pond where the ducks lived there was a waterfall.  That is, the water ran from the pond, and fell over a high wall of stones upon some more stones down below, and made a lot of foam and a rushing, gurgling noise that was very cool in summer, making you think of ice cream and all nice things like that.  And besides this there was, near the waterfall, a big mill, with a wheel that went around and around, to grind the corn and grain.

Well, Jimmie’s papa and mamma hadn’t been gone more than half an hour before the little boy duck called to Lulu and Alice.  “Let’s see how near we can go to the waterfall,” he said.

Now this was a very dangerous thing to do, because there was a strong and swift current at the fall, and any one who went too near it might be carried over.  Mr. and Mrs. Wibblewobble knew this, and many times had told their children to keep away.  But, you see, Jimmie forgot, or else didn’t want to remember, so he called to his sisters, telling them to see how near they could go.

“I’ll not,” spoke Alice.  “And you hadn’t better either, Jimmie.  You know what mamma said.”

“Oh, well, the water’s low now,” replied Jimmie.  “I don’t believe there’s any danger.  Come on, Lulu.”

“All right,” said Lulu.  So she and Jimmie started to swim as close as they could to the waterfall.  But Alice stayed near shore, and who should come along but Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy, the muskrat nurse who was out for a walk.  She told Alice about Sammie and Susie Littletail, and said the little rabbit children were well.

Now all this while Jimmie and Lulu were swimming nearer and nearer to the waterfall.  They could hear the water splashing on the rocks below, and they liked to listen to it.

“We had better stop,” called Lulu, after a while.

“No, I’m going closer,” declared Jimmie.  “There is no danger; come on!”

But just then Lulu felt something pulling her down toward where the big wheel went around and around, and she got frightened.  Then she swam just as hard as she could toward shore, and called to her brother:  “Jimmie, don’t go any closer!  Come back!”

But Jimmie was a boy duck, and wanted to be brave, so he answered:  “I’m going just a little bit closer.”

Now Lulu had a very hard time, indeed, getting to shore, as the current was so strong, but she finally managed it.  Jimmie, however, kept on swimming nearer and nearer to the falls.  Then, all at once, before you could stick a pin in a cushion, what should take place but that the little boy duck felt himself being pulled along by the rushing water, just as the soap floats along when you pull the plug out of the bathtub.  Oh, how fast the water swept him along!  Jimmie splashed and paddled with all his might, and tried to swim ashore, where Lulu was anxiously watching him, but he couldn’t seem to move.  There he was, being carried along to the edge of the falls, with the cruel, sharp stones below, and the big millwheel going around and around.  Then Jimmie knew he was in great danger, and he cried out:  “Help!  Help!  Help!” three times, as loudly as he could call.