"But that's a good riddle, too, isn't
it? What's the sleepiest letter of the alphabet?"

"Do you know the answer?" Rose wanted to know. "This isn't like the
fire riddle, is it?"

"No, I know an answer to this," Laddie said. "Can anybody else answer
it?"

They all made different guesses, and Vi, as usual, asked all sort of
questions, but finally no one could guess, or, if Mother and Daddy
Bunker could, they didn't say so, and Laddie exclaimed:

"The sleepiest letter of the alphabet is E 'cause it's always in bed;
B-E-D, bed!" and he laughed at his riddle.

"That is a pretty good one," said his mother.

"You ought to say what are the three sleepiest letters in the alphabet,"
declared Russ, "'cause there are three letters in bed."

"Oh, well, one is enough for a riddle," said Laddie, and I think so
myself.

One day the children saw Daddy Bunker and Cousin Tom putting on long
rubber boots, and taking down heavy fishing-poles and some baskets.

"Where are you going?" asked Russ.

"Down to fish in the surf," answered his father. "Want to come?"

Russ and Laddie did. Rose and Violet were already trying to catch crabs
further up the inlet. Margy and Mun Bun had gone to take their afternoon
nap.

Laddie and Russ played about on the beach while their father and Cousin
Tom began to fish, throwing the heavy sinkers and big hooks far out in
the surf, trying to catch a bass. The men had to stand where the waves
broke, and that is why they wore rubber boots.

Suddenly Laddie, who had run down the beach to watch a big piece of
driftwood come floating in, called:

"Oh, Russ! Come here, quick! Here is a fish that's got legs! It's a fish
that can walk! It's worse than a Sallie Growler! Come and look at it!"

CHAPTER XXI

THE QUEER BOX AGAIN

Russ at first thought his smaller brother was playing a joke.

"You can't fool me," cried Russ. "I don't want to guess any of your
riddles!"

"This isn't a riddle!" declared Laddie. "It's a real fish, and it's got
real legs. Come and look at it!"

He was pointing to something on the beach, which seemed to have been
washed in by the tide.

"Come on!" cried Laddie again. "It isn't a riddle--honest! It's a fish
with legs. I didn't see him walk, but it sort of--sort of stands up!"

Still Russ was afraid of being fooled. So he called over to his father
and Cousin Tom, who were fishing in the surf not far away.

"Daddy, is there a fish with legs? Laddie says he's found