24 Bosh-Bosh Oil.

butter. Gardner was amazed, and then a funny
thought came to him. ‘Why not butter my feet,
and then perhaps I shall be able to cross this pitch
pond.” So laughing at the thought, he carefully
covered the sole of his boot and the sole of his
stocking (and very nasty that felt, too) with the
butter. Then he cautiously tried one foot on the
pitch, and found that he could now walk over it
with the utmost ease! He had soon crossed it,
and turned to give one last look at his lost boot,
when—and Gardner rubbed his eyes to make sure,
for he thought he must be mistaken—he found
that the black, sticky mass had disappeared, and
with it his boot !

He had scarcely recovered from his astonish-
ment, when he was startled by hearing a tre-
mendous ‘“ guaaaack.’ Looking up, he saw, a
little way up the path, a monster duck—never
had he imagined such an enormous bird. Its
mouth was wide open, and was fully as large as a
window! This alarming creature was coming
down upon Gardner as fast as she could waddle,
and her eyes were snapping angrily. He had,