PETER, PATTY, AND MR PIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 4030, 9 June 1931, Page 70

PETER, PATTY, AND MR PIP.

FOUR FAT DUCKS. (Special for the Otago Witness.)

Peter and Patty were playing in a field when an aeroplane whizzed along at great speed high above their heads. “How lovely to fly,” said Patty. “I wish we could go, don’t you, Peter?” “ Quack, quack, quack, quack! ” Four fat ducks waddled up, looking very friendly and obliging. • “ I’ve an idea,” exclaimed Peter when he saw them. “ Let’s persuade these four fat ducks to take us flying.” “ Great notion,” agreed Patty. “ Please,” she said, going up to the four fat ducks, “ will you take us flying? ”

“ Certainly,” replied the four fat ducks. " Bring out the magic so you grow small enough.” No sooner said than done! Peter, Patty, Mr Pip, and Kitty each mounted a jolly fat duck. They waddled along the ground for a time; then, gradually, they started to rise, just like real aeroplanes. “This is fine,” announced Peter, who was on the fattest of the fat ducks. “But where are we going?” “Oh! ” replied the fattest of the fat ducks, “leave that to me.”

It was delightful to float away over the hills and dales. “Good as any aeroplane,” declared Peter. “ And not nearly so noisy,” added Patty. “ We’re enjoying it, too,” said Mr Pip and Kitty. But they soon changed their minds! Suddenly the four fat ducks started to swoop earthwards again. “A pond! A pond!” screamed the fattest. “A pond! A pond!” eehoed the others. Down they dropped; down—down—down!

The ducks took to the water gently, gracefully, and without any splashing. Then they floated quietly over the surface. “ Not so bad after all,” said Peter, “ a change from flying is quite welcome.” But he spoke too soon. “A worm! A worm!” screamed the fattest of the fat ducks. And the others echoed, “A worm! A worm!” Now the worm was at the bottom of the pond; and those fat ducks meant to get it. So, without even saying “ Sorry! ” they dived down for it. “Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! ” Four frightened folk gave four frightened shouts as the ducks pitched them off their backs into the pond.

“ We must swim for it, I suppose,” gasped Peter when his head came above water again. “ Suppose we must,” wailed Patty, “ and I don’t like swimming in cold ponds.” “ Pm all right,” laughed Mr Pip, striking out bravely. “Ugh!” That was Kitty’s only remark. She always DID hate water. “Oh, dear!” spluttered Patty at last. “I can’t swim when people are looking on. And those horrid children on the bank are laughing at us.” She stopped swimming and sat down! Luckily, they had reached shallow water! Peter sat down beside her and yelled to the fat ducks to come and take them home. But the four fat ducks were after another worm

When the four fat ducks had finished their second meal, they looked round, grinned at their four very damp | friends, and the fattest one said: “Would you like/to fly home now!” i “We would NOT,” shouted Peter; “ you might drop us in the middle of the ocean next time—and then where would we bei ” “In the middle of the ocean,” suggested the fattest of the fat ducks mildly. “ Ha, ha, ha! ” laughed the children on the bank. “ Come on,” implored Patty, “ I can’t stand this any longer. Wringing the water out of their clothes as well as they could, they set off as fast as their legs would carry them. “I shall never speak to a fat duck again,” announced Peter. “ Quack, quack, quack, quack! ” followed them as they raced across the field.