sounded

   like a riddle," Russ answered. "He kept saying: 'What made the boat sink? Oh, Vi, what made the boat sink?'"

   "I hope it

    was

   only a riddle, and that nothing has happened," said Mrs. Bunker.

   "Maybe it'll be no worse than Mun and

   his balloon," said Norah. "Anyhow, I can see the two children!" and she pointed across the green meadow to the brook. "They seem to be all right."

   There, on the grassy bank, was Laddie jumping up and down, and pointing to something in the water. And the something was Vi though she appeared to be out in the middle of the brook, in a part where it was deep enough to come over the knees of Russ.

   "What's the matter, Laddie?" asked his mother. "Has anything happened to Vi?"

   "She's in the boat, and it's sunk," was the answer. "Oh, what made the boat sink?"

   "Silly boy! Stop asking riddles at a time like this!" cried Mrs. Bunker. "What do you mean, Laddie?"

   "It isn't a riddle at all," he answered. "The boat did sink and Vi is in it. What made it?"

   "A boat! Sure there's no boat on the brook, unless the boy made one himself," said Norah.

   "I did make one—out of a box, and Vi was riding in it, but it sank," said Laddie. "What made it sink?"

   Then Mrs. Bunker, Norah and Russ came near enough to the shore of the brook to see what had happened. Out in the middle, standing in a soap box, was Violet. The little girl was crying and holding out her hands to Laddie, who seemed quite worried and excited.

   "She's sunk! She's sunk!" he said over and over again.

   "Be quiet, silly boy!" ordered his mother, who saw that Vi was in no danger. "We'll get her out. Why didn't you wade out to her yourself, and bring her to shore?"

   "'Cause I thought maybe something was out there," said Laddie.

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