“No, I don’t believe it does, my dear.”

“Then what makes ’em call it a starfish?” the little girl wanted to know.

“Because it has five arms, or perhaps they are legs, and as a star, such as you see in our flag, has five points, they call the fish that name.  It is shaped like a star, you see.  It doesn’t twinkle, and it eats oysters, so I have read.”

“How does it crack the oyster shells?” asked Vi.

“Oh, now you are asking too many questions for a little girl, and some that I can’t answer,” said Mrs. Bunker with a laugh.  “Run along and play in the sand with Rose.  But don’t go too far, for it will be time for supper soon.  And don’t forget about the boat!”

“I hope we find a starfish,” said Laddie, glad he had something new to think about.

“Could I make up a riddle about one, Mother?”

“I guess so, if you tried hard.”

“I know a riddle about the sand,” went on the little chap.  “Why is the sand like a boy?”

“It isn’t,” said Rose.  “Sand isn’t at all like a boy.”

“Yes, it is,” went on Laddie.  “A boy runs and so does sand.”

“Sand doesn’t run,” declared Rose.

“Yes, it does,” insisted her little brother.  “I heard you say that some sand ran down into your shoe.  So sand runs and a boy runs and that’s a riddle.”

“Yes, I guess it is,” laughed Mother Bunker.  “Well, you run along and play.”

And Rose and Laddie and Violet did.  They went to where Margy and Mun Bun were digging holes in the sand.

“Did you find any gold?” asked Laddie.

Mun Bun shook his head until his hair was in his eyes.

“We found a lot of funny little white bugs that jump,” he said.

“They were awful nice little bugs, and they wiggled and wiggled in the sand,” added Margy.

“Oh, I want to see some!” cried Vi, and then Margy and Mun Bun dug until they found some “sand hoppers,” for the other children.  They are a sort of shore shrimp, I think, and very lively, jumping about, digging themselves holes in the sand in which they hide.

Margy and Mun Bun and Laddie and Vi became so interested in looking for the sand hoppers that they forgot about digging for gold, and it was almost time for supper when Russ came whistling down the beach calling: 

“Who wants to come and see me sail my boat?”

“I do!  I do!” cried Mun Bun and Laddie, and the girls, Rose also, said they would go.

“I haven’t got all the sails on yet,” explained Russ, “but I guess it will sail a little this way, and I can put some more sails on to-morrow.”

From an old shingle and some sticks Russ had made a nice little boat, fastening to the mast a bit of cloth, which looked like a sail.  Followed by his smaller brothers and sisters Russ took his boat to a place in the inlet where the water was not deep, and there he let the wind blow it about, to the delight of all.