s might have been," Norah answered prudently. "They must have
been used to it, you see. And I believe a good sheep-dog would get
used to anything."

"Funny things ole Noah and his fam'ly wore," said Geoffrey, looking at
Japhet with disfavour. "Like dressing-gowns, only worse. Wouldn't
have been much good for looking after nanimals in. Why, even the Land
Army girls wear trousers now!"

"Well, fashions were different then," said Mrs. Hunt. "Perhaps, too,
they took off the dressing-gowns when they got inside the Ark, and had
trousers underneath."

"Where'd they keep all the food for the nanimals, anyhow?" Geoffrey
demanded. "They'd want such a lot, and it would have to be all
different sorts of food. Tigers wouldn't eat vegi-tubbles, like
rabbits."

"And efalunts would eat buns," said Alison anxiously. "Did Mrs. Noah
make vem buns?"

"She couldn't, silly, unless she had a gas-stove," said Geoffrey.
"They couldn't carry firewood as well. I say, Mother, don't you think
the Ark must have had a supply-ship following round, like the Navy
has?"

"It isn't mentioned," said Mrs. Hunt.

"I say!" said Geoffrey, struck by a new idea that put aside the
question of supply. "Just fancy if a submarine had torpedoed the Ark!
Wouldn't it have been exciting!"

"Let's do it in the bath," said Alison, delightedly.

"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.

"I cannot imagine Adam being broody," said Mrs. Hunt.

"Well, anyhow, he hatched out Eve!" said Geoffrey. No one ventured to
combat this statement, and the children formed themselves into a
stretcher party, bearing the Ark and its contents upon a tray in the
direction of the bathroom.

"Aren't they darlings?" Norah said, laughing. "Look at that Michael!"

Michael was toddling behind the stretcher-party as fast as his fat
legs would permi