"Why, how in the world did you get there?" asked Johnnie, and Buddy told him.
"I think it would be more polite to ask him how he's going to get out," suggested Billie.
"That's so," agreed Buddy. "It's going to be hard work. But I guess I can crawl through."
So he tried to crawl through the bush, but you know how it is when you go after berries, the briars seem to stick into you all over. That's the way it was with Buddy. He couldn't crawl out, no matter how hard he tried, for the stickers caught into his fur and held him fast.
"Can't you jump out through the same hole you fell in through?" asked Billie, and Buddy tried to do so, but he was scratched more than ever.
Then Billie and Johnnie tried to open up a place through the bottom part of the briars for Buddy to slide out, but they couldn't do it, and they were very sorry they had jumped off the plank so quickly, for that made all the trouble.
Well, it began to look as though Buddy would never get out, and he felt like crying, only he was brave, and didn't shed a single tear. Then Johnnie suggested that he and Billie go up a tall tree, and lower a string down to Buddy in the bush, and try to pull him up that way. They tried it, but it wouldn't work, for the stickers still caught in the little guinea pig's fur.
So they didn't know what to do, and were just going to give up, when who should come bounding along but Sammie Littletail. He knew what to do in a second.
He dug a burrow, beginning outside the berry bush, and slanting it up under the roots, so that it came out inside, right near where Buddy was crouched down inside the clump of briars. The burrow was like a tunnel, and was big enough for Buddy to crawl out through, which he did, never getting scratched once. They all said Sammie was very smart to think of that, and I agree with them. Then they all played sea-saw some more, until it was time to go home.
Now in case there is a cool breeze, to blow the dust out of the poor coalman's eyes, I'll tell you next about Buddy and Brighteyes bringing home the cows.