Poor Mrs. Quack in "Ryder Tells About Mrs. Quack"

But he wasn't asleep. No, indeed! He was just thinking and thinking. He was trying to think of some way to help Mrs. Quack. At last he gave a little sigh of disappointment.
"It can't be done," said he. "There isn't any way."
"What can't be done?" demanded a voice right over his head.Ryder looked up. There sat Sammy Jay.
Ryder had been thinking so hard that he hadn't seen Sammy arrive.