"Maybe it's a bad fox," said Buddy, and he looked around for a stick or a stone with which to defend his sister, for Buddy was brave, let me tell you.
Then the noise seemed to sort of go away, just like when the teacher rubs the figures and sentences off the blackboard in school, and Buddy and Brighteyes weren't so frightened. So they kept on, and just as they were coming to the path that led to their pen, what did they hear but the rustling noise in the bushes again. This time they were very much frightened, and Buddy picked up a stick, almost as large as himself. Then Brighteyes said:
"Oh, Buddy, I'm afraid to go home that way. Let's take the other path."
"But that is so much longer," objected her brother.
"No matter," answered the little guinea pig girl, "it is better to take a longer path, than to go on a short one and be eaten up by a fox or a wolf," and I suppose Brighteyes was right. Anyhow they took the other path, and as they went along it, they heard a noise in the bushes as if some one was laughing, only they didn't see how a fox could laugh. So they hurried on.
Well, it wasn't very long before they came to something. I was going to let you guess what it was, but as it might take you some time to think, and then, maybe, you wouldn't get it right, I have decided to tell you.
What Buddy and Brighteyes saw on the path in front of them was a small box—the kind that soap comes out of, you know—and it was standing up on one edge. And sort of underneath the box were two, big toadstools, made into tables, and beside each table was a smaller toadstool for a seat. And, would you believe me? on each toadstool-table there were a lot of nice things to eat! Believe me, there was, really! There were bits of cabbage, some red clover tops with marshmallow-chocolate on them, and candied cherries, and red raspberries with strawberry sauce, and oh, I don't know what all!
"Why!" exclaimed Brighteyes, "that is a regular little play-party, Buddy."
"To be sure it is," he answered. "And look, there is a sign fastened to the box. Let's go closer, and read what it says on it." So they went a little closer, watching on all sides to make sure there was no danger, and they read the sign. This is what it said:
"Come in and eat whate'er you wish.