sufficient that he should be on guard to give warning if danger
should appear. So he spent the long beautiful days lazily swimming
about in the little pond, gossiping with Paddy the Beaver, and
taking the best of care of himself. The broken wing healed and grew
strong again, for it had not been so badly broken, after all. If
he missed the company of others of his kind which he would have
had during these long days of waiting had they been able to reach
their usual nesting-place in the far Northland, he never mentioned
it.

Unknown to them, Farmer Brown's boy discovered where they were.
Later he came often to the pond and was content to sit quietly
on the shore and watch Mr. Quack, so that Mr. Quack grew quite
used to him and did not fear him at all. In fact, after the first
few times, he made no attempt to hide. You see he discovered that
Farmer Brown's boy was a friend. Always after he had left, there
was something good to eat near where he had been sitting, for Farmer
Brown's boy brought corn and oats and sometimes a handful of wheat.

He knew, and Mr. Quack knew that he knew, that somewhere near was
a nest, but he did not try to find it much as he longed to, for he
knew that would frighten and worry Mrs. Quack. So the dear, precious
secret of Mr. and Mrs. Quack was kept, for not even Paddy the Beaver
knew just where that nest was, and in due time, early one morning,
Mrs. Quack proudly led forth for their first swim ten downy, funny
ducklings.

[Illustration with caption: Those were happy days indeed for Mr.
and Mrs. Quack in the pond of Paddy the Beaver.]