"Sh-hh," said Papa.   "Listen. That sounds like Emmy!"  

"The sound is coming from behind the woodshed," said Davey.  

"Dora," yelled Papa, "I think we've found her!"  

Davey and Papa took off running.  

Mama came out the back door of the house and ran along behind them.  

When they came around the edge of the woodshed, they saw Emmy.  

Davey, Papa and Mama ran up to the edge of the muddy pond.  

"Young Lady!   What are you doing out there?" yelled Mama.  

"I was following Jimmy and I got stuck.   There was a long black snake...coming right at me.   Get me outta here,Papa!"  

"Don't move," said Papa.   "Davey and I will get you out."  

"I couldn't move even if I wanted too," said Emmy.   "My boots are stuck in the mud!"  

"Davey, come and help me." said Papa, as he started running toward the back barn.  

"Emmy, do you know that you missed the egg man and he didn't pick up the eggs?" asked Mama sternly.  

"Yes, Mama," said Emmy in a small voice.  

"Do you know that now I will have to throw a whole crate of eggs away because they will spoil before he comes back next Saturday?   Do you know that, Young Lady?"  

Emmy started to cry.  

I'm sorry, Mama.   I forgot.   I was just going to follow Jimmy for awhile and then get back to the house, but...I got stuck."

Papa and Davey came hurrying back with three long boards.   Papa laid one down on the edge of the muddy pond.  

"Hand me one of those boards, Davey.   When I get it down, you step out on this one and hand me the other one."  

Papa stepped out on the first board and Davey handed him another one.   Papa laid that board down and Davey walked out onto the two boards and handed Papa the third board.  

By then Papa was close enough to Emmy to grab her under her arm pits and pull her out of the mud.  

Unfortunately, her yellow boots stayed.   Stuck--way down in the deep mud.  

"My boots!" cried Emmy.  

"Don't worry about them now." said Papa.   "Thank Goodness we got you out before you sank in any further."  

Papa carried Emmy across the boards and placed her on her feet in front of her mother.  

Her mother reached down and lifted Emmy's chin up so she could look into her eyes.  

"All right, Emmy," she said.   "You get up to the house and use the garden hose to wash yourself off.   Then I want you to go to your room and we will talk about this later."