got froo wid
dinner at home, an' ol' Aunt 'Cindy done put de buttermilk-jug back in
de spring."

Sweetest Susan caught her breath with a gasp, and laughed
hysterically. She had been very much alarmed.

"I expect that's what it is," said Buster John, but there was some
doubt in his tone. He turned to Mr. Thimblefinger, who had followed
them. "What time is it, please?"

Mr. Thimblefinger drew his watch from his pocket with as much dignity
as he could assume, and held his head gravely on one side. "It is
now--let me see--_ahem!_--it is now precisely thirteen minutes and
eleven seconds after one o'clock."

"Is that the jug in the spring?" asked Sweetest Susan, pointing to the
huge black shadow that was now wobbling and wavering more slowly.

Mr. Thimblefinger shaded his eyes with his hand and examined the
shadow critically. "Yes, that is the jug--the light hurts my
eyes--yes, certainly, that is the jug."

Presently a volume of white vapor shot out from the shadow. It was
larger than the largest comet, and almost as brilliant.

"What is that?" asked Sweetest Susan.

Mr. Thimblefinger felt almost as thoughtful as a sure-enough man of
science.

"That," said he, "is an emanation--an exhalation, you might say--that
we frequently witness in our atmosphere."

"A which?" asked Buster John.

"Well," replied Mr. Thimblefinger, clearing his throat, "it's--er--an
emanation."

"Huh!" cried Drusilla, "'t ain't no kind er nation. It's des de milk
leakin' out'n dat jug. I done tol' Aunt 'Cindy 'bout dat leakin' jug."

Mr. Rabbit and Mrs. Meadows had come out of the house in time to hear
this, and they laughed heartily. In fact, they all laughed except Mr.
Thimblefinger and Drusilla.

"It happens every day," said Mrs. Meadows. "We never notice it. I
suppose if it happened up there where you children live, everybody
would make a great to-do? I'm glad I don't live there where there's so
much fussing and guessing going on. I know how it is. Something
happens that doesn't happen every day, and then somebody'll guess one
way and somebody another way, and the first thing you know there's a
great rumpus over nothing. I'm truly glad I came away from there in
time to get out of the worst of it. You children had better take a
notion and stay here with us."

"Oh, no," cried Sweetest Susan. "Mamma and papa would want to see us."

"That's so," said Mrs. Meadows. "Well, I just came out here to tell
you not to get too near the Green