They all hurried about and helped Mother Gray put up the lunch and very soon they were all scampering off to the creek for their picnic.
Billy Jay flew ahead of them and they followed him to a place in the creek, where the shore curved and the rocks sheltered the water so that it was as quiet and as still as a pond.
Pinkie Whiskers, Winkle and Twinkle raced down to the creek and looked down into the water. To their amazement, they saw their faces reflected: Pinkie Whiskers cried out:
“Is this the surprise? Is this what you wished to show us?”
“No,” laughed Billy Jay. “You look again and forget about your reflection and tell me what you see.”
They all looked again and this time they saw funny little creatures wiggling and swimming about. Pinkie Whiskers asked:
“What are they and where are they going?”
Mother Gray and Father Gray looked and they also were surprised, for they had never seen or heard of anything like them.
Billy Jay was thoroughly enjoying himself, for it is always fun to show something strange to your friends. He laughed as he answered:
“They are tadpoles and they are not going anywhere. They just swim around and around here near the shore, for this is their home just as the cheese factory is your home.”