six little Bunkers felt this.

While Margy was running along the walk that led to the kitchen, where
Aunt Jo's good-natured cook might be expected to hand out cookies and
cakes, another little Bunker, who was walking beside Violet, the one who
had been trying to make something out of pieces of wood, called out:

"Nobody can guess what I have in my mouth!"

"Is that a riddle, Laddie?" asked Russ. For Laddie was the name of the
gray-eyed and curly-haired boy, and he was very fond of asking
puzzle-questions. "Is it a riddle?" Russ repeated.

"Sort of," admitted Laddie. "Who can guess what I have in my mouth?"

"Oh, it's candy!" cried Violet, as she saw one of her brother's cheeks
puffed out. "It's candy! Give me some, Laddie!"

"Nope. 'Tisn't candy!" he cried. "You must guess again!"

Nothing pleased Laddie more than to make his brothers and sisters guess
his riddles.

"Is it a piece of cake?" asked Mun Bun.

"Nope!"

"Then 'tis so candy!" insisted Violet. And then, seeing her mother
coming down the side porch, she cried: "Mother, make Laddie give me some
of his candy! He's got a big piece in his mouth, and he won't give me
any!"

"I haven't any candy!" declared Laddie. "I only asked her if she could
guess what I had."

"'Tis so candy!" insisted Violet again.

"No, 'tisn't!" disputed Laddie.

"Children! Children!" said Mrs. Bunker softly. "I don't like my six
little toadikins to talk this way. Where's Margy?" she asked as she
"counted noses," which she called looking about to see if all six of the
children were present.

"Margy's gone to get some cakes, 'cause we're going to have a
soap-bubble party," explained Russ.

"What makes so many pretty colors come in the bubbles, Mother?" asked
Violet.

"It is the light shining through, just as the sun shines through the
water in the sky after the rain, making the rainbow."

"Oh," said Violet. She didn't understand very well about it, but her
question had been answered, anyhow. "And now what's Laddie got in his
mouth?" she went on. "Make him give me some, Mother!"

"I can't, 'cause it's only my tongue, and I can't take it out!" laughed
Laddie, and he showed how he had thrust his tongue to one side, bulging
out his cheek, so it really did look as though he had a piece of candy
in his mouth.

"That's the time I fooled you with a riddle!" he said to Violet. "It was
only my tongue!"

"I don't care! When I get some real candy I won't give you any!" cried
Vi