be undressed, he was in
such a great hurry to be ducked; and when the bathing-woman took him and
plunged him under the water, although he gasped for breath, he laughed,
and kicked, and splashed the water, and cried, "Duck me again! duck me
again!" and he looked so pleased, that some other children came to where
he was, and they all had a grand frolic together.

Little Johnny laughed too, as he stood in the machine; but, when his
Mother said, "Come, Johnny, now it is your turn," he made a terrible
face, and cried, "Dear Mamma, please let me go home. I shall never see
you again if you put me in that great big water." But his Mamma said he
must go in, because it would do him a great deal of good, and she
undressed him, and put him into the woman's arms.

Johnny now began to scream as loud as he could, and cried out,
"Mamma, Mamma, I want to go back to you." But the old woman did not mind
him a bit, and holding him by his arms, she plunged him under the water.

[Illustration]

The poor little fellow came up gasping and panting, and sobbed out, "Oh,
my dear Mamma, come and kiss me 'fore I die."

Everybody laughed--for there was no danger--except his kind Mother. A
tear started to her eye, for she knew her dear little son really thought
he was dying, and would never see her again. But in a little while he
felt better, and, after his Mother had taken him, and had rubbed him all
over and dressed him, and he had run up and down the beach with William
and the other children, he felt such a nice warm glow all over him, that
he forgot all about his fright.

Very soon he said, "Mamma, I am so hungry--I am as hungry as a little
bear."

"That is because you have been in the water," replied his Mother.

"Are the fishes always hungry?--does the water make them hungry too?"
said Johnny.

"I believe they are always ready to eat," replied his Mother; "you know
that they are caught by bait. This bait is often a little worm, put upon
a sharp hook. The fish snap at the bait, and the hook catches them in
the mouth. Come, little hungry fish," added his Mother, "and I will give
you something to eat; but I will not put it on a hook to hurt you."

The next day the little boys went into the water again, and, although
Johnny made up a doleful face, he did not think he should die this time;
and, when he saw the other children laughing and splashing each other,
and crying, "Duck me again! what fun we are having!" he tried to like it
too, a