One day, Peter Rabbit happens upon a surprise visitor to the Smiling Pool. It's Mrs. Quack the Duck, who is dreadfully upset after having narrowly escaped some hunters and their terrible guns. Worst of all, she has lost Mr. Quack, her husband, and doesn't know whether he is alive or dead. Peter, Jerry Muskrat, and the other animals in the Green Forest vow to help Mrs. Quack find a safe place to live and to try and locate Mr. Quack. Sammy Jay and Blacky the Crow, two of the sharpest-eyed animals in the Green Forest, are enlisted to help and soon the search is under way.
As children learn about the misfortunes of Mrs. Quack and the problems faced by migrating ducks, they will develop new respect for wildlife and a deeper understanding of real animals and their struggle to survive. Best of all, the lessons are incorporated into a good story, told with the warmth and charm that have made Thornton W. Burgess stories favorites with children for generations. Completely reset in large, easy-to-read type, the text is enhanced by six full-page illustrations based on Harrison Cady's originals.