"No, indeed!" his mother told him. "You must stay in while it rains. But it may stop before the day is over."
However, the downpour showed no signs of letting up. It came down harder than ever, and when they had finished eating the children stood at the windows and looked out. The water in the rear yard was not quite up to the back steps, but when Captain Ben and Daddy Bunker came in, after having helped save the chickens, the marine said:
"There is water in my cellar now. If it keeps on raining there will be more in. But there's nothing much down there to spoil."
"Will it wash the bungalow away?" asked Vi.
"Oh, no!" laughed the captain. "We've had floods like this before, and we never had any serious trouble. I'm only sorry that it spoils our island picnic."
"Well, we can have fun here," said Russ. "We can make believe we're on a house boat, and that we're sailing to China."
"And can't we go somewhere to get something to eat?" asked Laddie. "Maybe they won't have anything I like in China. They have tea, and I don't like that very much."
"Yes, we'll make-believe sail to the North Pole, and maybe we'll see Santa Claus and he'll give us something good," laughed Rose, catching up Margy in her arms and dancing about the room.
"I want to see Santa Claus!" cried Margy.
"And I want candy!" added Mun Bun.