Part 9 (1/2)

”Let's do it!” proposed Bunny. ”The boat is tied fast, but we can make believe we are rowing. We'll pretend we are taking a long trip.”

Neither of the children meant to do wrong, for they thought it would be all right to sit in the boat as long as it was tied fast. So into it they climbed. Then such fun as they had! They took sticks and made believe to row. They tied their handkerchiefs on other sticks and pretended to be sailing. They rocked the boat gently to and fro, and Bunny called this ”being out in a storm.”

Then they lay down on the broad seats and made believe it was night and that, when they awakened, they would be in a far-off land where coconuts grew on trees and where there were monkeys to toss them down.

And, before they knew it, both children were fast asleep, for the sun was s.h.i.+ning warmly down on them. Bunny awoke first. He felt the boat tossing to and fro:

”Don't do that, Sue!” he called. ”You'll tip us over.”

”Don't do what?” asked Sue, sleepily.

”Don't jiggle the boat,” said Bunny. Then he opened his eyes wider and looked all about. The boat was far from sh.o.r.e and was drifting down the river. It had become untied while the children slept.

CHAPTER VII

BUNNY GOES FIs.h.i.+NG

”On, Bunny! Bunny!” cried Sue, clapping her hands. ”We're having a sail!

We're sailing!”

”Yes,” answered her brother, ”that's what we are, but--”

He looked toward the sh.o.r.e and wondered if it were too far away for him to wade to it. The river looked quite deep, though, and Bunny decided he had better not try it.

”Don't you like sailing,” asked his sister Sue.

”Oh, yes, I like it all right,” was the reply, ”but mother told us not to go out in the boat and we've done it.”

”But we didn't mean to,” came from the little girl. ”The boat did it all by itself, and it isn't our fault at all.”

”That's so,” and Bunny smiled now and seemed happier.

”I wonder how it happened?” asked Sue.

”I guess we jiggled it so much, making believe we were sailing, that the rope got loose,” Bunny explained. ”And now we're sailing!”

Bunny Brown and his sister Sue really were sailing down the river and the boat was bobbing up and down and swinging from side to side, for it was not steered. And it was not exactly ”sailing” either, for it was only a row-boat and there was no sail to hoist.

But the river was flowing down hill to the sea and it was the river that was carrying the boat along.

”I like it; don't you?” asked Sue, after a bit.

”Yes,” answered Bunny. ”Only we musn't go too far away. Mother wouldn't like that even if it wasn't our fault that the boat got loose. I wonder if there's anything to eat here.”

”Let's look,” proposed Sue, so the two children looked under the boat seats and lifted the oars over to one side. Sometimes they were allowed to go with their father or mother for a row or sail, and, once in a while, Mrs. Brown would take with her some sandwiches or cake for a little lunch. Bunny and Sue thought something to eat might have been left over since the last time, but there was nothing.

”Oh dear!” sighed Sue. ”I'm terrible hungry, Bunny!”