n'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--"

"My name is Jimmie," said the little boy duck quickly.

"Well, Jimmie, then," went on the cow. "You can see for yourself how it
is, or, rather, you can't see, for the water is in the way," and then
Jimmie noticed that one of the cow's hoofs was down in a puddle of water,
and no matter how hard she pulled she couldn't get loose from that stone;
no, sir, any more than you can tie a string to one of your teeth and get
the tooth loose--that is, not counting a tooth that needs pulling, of
course.

"Well," remarked Jimmie, after he had looked very carefully at the puddle
where the cow's foot was, "it's too bad."

"It certainly is," agreed the cow. "You see if the stone wasn't under
water I could see to loosen it with my horn, but as it is I can't, and
I've tried several times," and she tried once more, just to show she was
telling the truth.

"I've been here some time," the cow went on, "and no one seems able to
help me," and she m