Russ poled the raft toward shore, as their mother
told them to, and got off, Mrs. Bunker started after the other children,
who were going to find the strange voice that had called to them.

And while this is going on I shall have a chance to tell my new readers
something about the little Bunkers. There were six of them, as, perhaps,
you have counted. Russ, or Russell, to give him the whole of his name,
was eight years old. He was the oldest, a great boy for making things to
play with, such as a steamboat out of some old boards, or an automobile
from a chair and a sofa cushion. He was also very fond of whistling, and
knew several real tunes.

Rose, who came next, was seven years old. She was a regular "mother's
helper," and often sang as she washed the dishes or did the dusting. She
had light hair and blue eyes while Russ had a dark complexion.

Then there came Violet and Laddie, the twins, aged six. Laddie's real
name was Fillmore Bunker, but he was seldom called that. His hair was
curly, and his eyes were gray, and whether that made him so fond of
making up riddles, or of asking those others made up, I can't say.
Anyhow he did it. His twin sister loved to ask questions. She could ask
more questions in a day than several persons could answer. No one ever
tried to answer all Vi asked. Her hair and eyes were just like Laddie's.

Next came Margy and Mun Bun. Margy was five, and her brother was a year
younger. He had blue eyes and golden hair, and, you can easily imagine,
was a pretty picture.

"Daddy" Bunker, whose name was Charles, had a real estate and lumber
office in Pineville, which was in Pennsylvania, and was on the Rainbow
River. About twenty thousand people lived in Pineville, and it was a
very nice place indeed. The home of the Bunkers was on the main street
of the town, and was less than a mile from Daddy Bunker's office.

Then there was Mother Bunker, whose hands were full keeping house and
looking after the six little Bunkers. Her name was Amy, and before she
married Daddy Bunker her last name had been Bell.

Those of you who have read the first book of this series, called "Six
Little Bunkers at Grandma Bell's," remember that there were two other
members of the "family"--Norah O'Grady, the good-natured Irish cook, and
Jerry Simms, the man who had once been a soldier and who was very kind
to the children. Jerry did odd bits of work about the house, and often
ran the automobile for Mr. Bunker.

The Bunk