"Eat," said Jack promptly.
"I knew it," cried Mr. Dean, laughing, "and to be quite honest, I am hungry myself."
"Open the small hamper," said Miss Isabel. "I provided a little lunch and a big lunch, and we may have the little one first."
The "little lunch" proved to be hard-boiled eggs, thin bread and butter, and bottles of milk, with ginger cookies for dessert. The last crumb vanished speedily, for although the girls had laughed at Jack for being hungry the very first thing, they were quite ready to take their share of the luncheon.
"And now I've thought of a splendid play," announced Trix, removing the crumbs from her lips in the most simple, if not the most elegant manner, by the tip of her slender red tongue. "Miss Isabel and Mr. Dean must be a queen and king, and we will be their subjects, and they must send us to explore the countries around their kingdom, and do all kinds of brave deeds, and we must come back to report them, and then they must send us again. Some of us can discover countries, and some report on the plants, and fruits, and things in the neighboring kingdoms, and some must kill dragons and all those things."
"Isn't that a great play, Trix!" cried Jack in ecstasy. "I'll kill dragons."
"I'd like to discover," said Margery.
"I'll report the flowers and things," said Amy.
"And I want to be a knight sent out to have adventures," declared Trix. "Will you play that, Miss Isabel? Will you, Mr. Dean?"
"By all means," replied Mr. Dean.