The bluejay flew with them to some bushes which he said were the kind the tingle-berries grew upon, but they were all bare and not a single berry could be found.
"There must be more not far away," said the policeman, encouragingly. "Let us look about us."
They found several clumps of the bushes, to be sure; but unfortunately no berries were now growing upon them, and at each failure the children grew more and more sad and despondent.
"If we have to wait until the bushes bear again," Twinkle remarked, "it will be nearly a year, and I'm sure we can't live in the forest all winter."
"Why not?" asked the policeman.
"The food in our basket would all be gone, and then we would starve to death," was the reply. "We can't eat bugs and worms, you know."
"I'd rather die!" declared Chubbins, mournfully.
The bluejay became very thoughtful.
"If we could find some of the tingle bushes growing near the shade of the forest," he said at last, "there might still be some berries remaining on them. Out here in the bright sunshine the berries soon wither and drop off and disappear."
"Then let us look near the trees," suggested Twinkle.