And, worst of all, Bunny Brown himself was hidden from sight in that mess of ironing board, washboiler, and other things!

“Oh!  Oh!  Oh!” cried Sister Sue, dropping her basket and her button money, which rolled all over the floor.  “Oh, dear!”

“Bless and save us!” cried Mary, the cook.  “What has happened?”

Bunny Brown said nothing.

CHAPTER II

FEEDING THE ALLIGATORS

Mrs. Brown came hurrying into the kitchen from the living room.

“What has happened?” she asked.  “What was that crash?”

It needed only one look to show her what had happened and what had caused the rattling, banging, crashing sound.  On the floor, over and around the two chairs and the large ironing board, were the smaller board, the stepladder, the washboiler, two hammers, a lot of nails, many bread, cake, and pie pans, and some knives and forks.

“Where’s Bunny?” asked Mrs. Brown.

Well might she ask that, for Sue’s brother was not in sight, nor had he uttered a word since the accident.

“He—­he’s under there I—­I guess,” faltered Sue.  She was not quite sure where Bunny had gone when that terrible crash came.

“Yes, I see his legs!  I’ll pull him out, Ma’am,” offered Mary.  “Oh, I hope nothing has happened to him!”

Mrs. Brown hurried to assist Mary in digging Bunny from under the wreckage of his hardware store.  And while they are doing that I will beg a moment’s time from those of you who have never before read any of these books, to tell you something of the two children who are to have some queer adventures in this present volume.

Bunny Brown and his sister Sue are well known to many of you children.  Bunny and his sister lived with their father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Brown, in the town of Bellemere, on Sandport Bay, near the ocean.  Mr. Brown kept a boat and fish dock, and one of his helpers was Bunker Blue, a young man who was very fond of Bunny and Sue.

In the Brown home were also Uncle Tad, who was Mr. Brown’s relative, and Mary, the good-natured cook.  There was also Splash, a big dog.  And I might mention Toby, a Shetland pony.  There were other pets to whom I will introduce you from time to time.  Toby had been away from the Brown children for a while, but was now back again.

In the village were many friends of Bunny and Sue.  Mrs. Redden, who kept a candy store, was a very special sort of friend, and she gave the biggest penny’s worth of sweets for miles around.  Mr. Gordon, as I have told you, kept a real grocery store, and then there was Mr. Jed Winkler, an old sailor who owned a parrot and a monkey named Wango.  Mr. Winkler’s sister, Miss Euphemia, did not like either Polly or Wango.

Charlie Star, George Watson, Mary Watson, Sadie West, Helen Newton, Harry Bentley, and fat Bobbie Boomer were all friends of the Brown children.