Russ tried to think of several other reasons why a rat was sometimes not a rat, but at last he gave up.
"This is it," said Laddie. "A rat isn't a rat when he's a bell-ringer; like the one in the attic was last night."
"Yes, that's a pretty good riddle," agreed Russ, after a bit. "Some day I'm going to make a riddle. Now I'm going to make snowshoes."
"How do you make them?" asked Laddie.
Russ was going to tell his brother, and take him out to the barn to show him, when Mother Bunker called up:
"Who wants to go for a ride with Grandpa?"
"I do! I! Take me! I want to go!" came in a chorus.
"Well, he has room for all of you, so come along. He's going to Tarrington to get some friends to come out to the Thanksgiving dinner, and you six may all go along," said Mother Bunker.
So the six little Bunkers had another fine sleigh ride, and came back to Great Hedge with fine appetites. They also brought back in the sled with them Mr. and Mrs. Burton, old friends of Grandpa Ford, who generally spent the Thanksgiving holiday with him.
For the next few days there were so many things going on at Great Hedge that if I only told about them I'd fill this book. But, as I have other happenings to relate to you, and the ghost to tell about, I will just skip over this part by saying that every one, even down to Mun Bun, helped get ready for the Thanksgiving dinner.