“Oh, no’m, we aren’t sick!” Bunny made haste to say. “But Mr. Pott’s sick, and we brought him something to eat.”
“The apples are to eat,” quickly said Sue, lest a mistake be made and the flowers served as a meal. “We brought the apples for Mr. Pott to eat, and he can smell the flowers. But if he gets them too near his nose they’ll make his nose yellow, the buttercups will. My nose is yellow—look!” and she held her nose up to the nurse.
“Oh, yes, I see your nose is a little yellow,” and the nurse laughed quietly. “How did it happen?”
“I smelled a buttercup too close,” said Sue. “Mr. Pott’s nose will be yellow, too.”
“Yes, if he smells a buttercup it will,” agreed the nurse.
“Where is he?” asked Bunny. “If you’ll tell us, if you please,” he added, remembering his manners, “we’ll take these apples up to him, and the flowers, too.”
“The flowers ought to be put in water,” put in Sue.
“Yes, I suppose they ought,” agreed the nurse. “If you will give your basket to me I will see that the flowers are put in water and placed in Mr. Pott’s room. He’ll like them, I’m sure.”
“He’ll like the apples, too,” said Bunny.
To this the nurse made no answer. But as she looked at the green fruit in the basket she could not help laughing, though she took care not to let Bunny or Sue see her mirth. The children were taken in charge by another nurse who entered just then and to whom the first nurse explained matters.