"'Cause I thought maybe something was out there," said Laddie.
"Something out there? What do you mean?" asked his mother.
"I mean something that made the boat sink—something that pulled it down in the water with Vi. A shark maybe, or a whale!"
"Nonsense!" laughed Mrs. Bunker. "There are only little baby fishes in the brook."
"But something made the boat sink!" insisted Laddie.
"We'll see about that when we get Vi to shore," said Mrs. Bunker. "Come on," she called to the little girl. "Wade to shore, Vi. You have your shoes and stockings off, haven't you?"
"Oh, yes, Mother."
"Then wade to shore. You're all right."
So Vi stepped out of the soap box, which Laddie had called the boat, and started for shore. The box floated down the brook, and Russ ran out on a little point of land to catch hold of it when it should float to him.
"Now you're all right," said Mrs. Bunker to her little girl, as Vi came ashore. "But what happened?"