“I should like some of Granny’s doughnuts!” Janey said. “Let’s see if we can find any berries or fruit to eat. I’ve read that is the way all shipwrecked people do.”
“Perhaps we shall have to live on mussels and clams,” said Johnny as he arose. “Let’s find something! I could almost eat one of these mushrooms!” And Johnny broke off a piece of mushroom and held it towards Janey.
Janey caught a whiff of the mushroom and said, “It smells good enough to eat!”
Johnny smelt the piece he had in his hands and then took a tiny bite.
“Be careful, Johnny!” Janey warned. “You know Granny said there was really no way to tell whether a mushroom was a mushroom or a toad-stool, except by eating it, and if you ate it and it was poison it was a toad-stool, and if you ate it and it did not hurt you, it was a mushroom!”
“Ummmmm!” Johnny exclaimed, when he had tasted the mushroom. “It’s fine, Janey!” and Johnny broke off another piece and ate it as if it had been cake.
“I’ll wait and see if it poisons you first!” said Janey.
Johnny picked off pieces of different mushrooms and tried them. “They’re different, Janey!” he cried. “You’re missing it! Try this piece! It tastes of raspberry or blackberry, I can’t tell which!”
Janey nibbled at the piece Johnny gave her and found the flavor excellent. She went to the mushroom from which Johnny had broken the piece and tore off a chunk as large as her head and began to eat it. The mushrooms were sweet and of different flavors, tasting just like cake. The children discovered that the old mushrooms which had turned brown were of chocolate or ginger flavor.