"What?" he squealed, hopping up and down in excitement. "Do you mean to
tell me that anything as big as Old Ally, big enough to swallow you
whole, can come from an egg? I don't believe it! Besides, only birds lay
eggs."

"Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack,
Peter, you must take that back!"

cried Mrs. Quack.

"Why must I take it back?" demanded Peter.

"Because as usual you've let your tongue run loose, and that is a bad
habit, Peter. It certainly is a bad habit. How about the Snake family?"

"Oh!" said Peter, looking very foolish. "I forgot all about the Snakes.
They do lay eggs."

"And how about Spotty the Turtle? Didn't he come from an egg?" persisted
Mrs. Quack.

Peter looked more foolish than before, if that were possible. "Y-e-s,"
he replied slowly and reluctantly.

"Then don't be so quick to doubt a thing just because you've never seen
it," retorted Mrs. Quack. "I've seen Mrs. 'Gator build her nest more
than once, and I've seen her eggs, and I've seen the baby 'Gators; and
what is more, I'm not in the habit of telling things that I don't know
are so."