“All right,” Geoffrey said. “May we, Mother?”

“Oh, yes, if you don’t get too wet,” his mother said resignedly. “They can all swim, that’s a comfort.

“We’ll muster them,” said Geoffrey, bundling the animals into a heap. “Hand over that bird, Alison. I say, Mother, which came first, a fowl or an egg?”

Mrs. Hunt sighed.

“It isn’t mentioned,” she said. “Which do you think?”

“Fowl, I ’specs,” answered her son.

I fink it was ve egg,” said Alison.

“How would it be hatched if it was, silly?” demanded her brother. “They didn’t have ink-ink-inklebaters then.”

Alison puckered her brows, and remained undefeated.

“P’raps Adam sat on it,” she suggested.