“Yes, some folks call him that,” was the reply, and Mrs. Bunker remembered a rather odd character whom her husband knew. Mr. Bunker had often spoken of “Farmer Joel,” but had said nothing about a load of flowers coming from him. “Did my husband order these?” asked Mrs. Bunker. “No, I don’t know that he did, exactly,” the driver answered. “Farmer Joel had more plants than he could use, so he told me to bring these in to you, as I had to come this way anyhow with a load of produce.” “Mother, who is Farmer Joel?” asked Rose, in a whisper. “He has a farm about forty miles from here,” answered Mrs. Bunker. “Your father and I were there some years ago. Farmer Joel has orchards, bees, flowers, chickens, cows, and horses.” “Oh, what a lovely place that would be to go to for the rest of the summer!” exclaimed Rose. “Could we go there, Mother?” begged Vi. “I—now—I know a riddle about a horse,” spoke up Laddie. “When is a boy a little horse?” “We haven’t time for riddles now, dear,” said his mother. “I must tell this man where to leave the flowers that Farmer Joel was so kind as to send us.” “Well, then I’ll tell you when a boy is a little horse,” went on Laddie. “It’s when he has a cold.” “Pooh! Being _hoarse_ when you have a cold isn’t being a _horse_ on a farm,” declared Rose. “It’s good enough for a riddle,” replied Laddie. “Oh, I want a ride!” he cried, as he saw the driver climbing up on his seat after Mrs. Bunker had pointed out her house. “No, Laddie! Keep off the truck,” his mother warned him. “Farmer Joel!” said Russ, in a musing tone as they all turned to go back home. “I wonder if we could go there?” “Maybe you’ll have the chance,” his mother said, smiling. “Oh! Oh! Oh!” cried the six little Bunkers in delight. “But I can’t tell you any more now,” Mrs. Bunker went on. “It’s a secret!” CHAPTER III THE SECRET Mrs. Bunker could not have said anything more exciting than the word “secret” if she had tried for a week. Hearing it, the six little Bunkers fairly jumped for joy. “Oh, ho! A secret!” cried Russ. “Let me guess what it is!” begged Laddie, acting as though he thought it a riddle. “Oh, tell me!” cried Rose. “I won’t tell the others, Mother.” “No, no!” laughed Mrs. Bunker. “When it is time to tell the secret you shall all know it at once.” “Is it about us?” asked Violet, with what she thought a cunning air, hoping she might surprise something of the secret from her mother. “Yes, it’s about all of you,” was the answer. “Is it good to eat?” was what Mun Bun wanted to know. “Yes, the secret is good to eat,” answered Mrs. Bunker, with laughing eyes, as she looked at Farmer Joel’s truck driver. “Is it good to play with?” was the question Margy asked. “Yes, it’s good to play with, too,” said her mother. This set all the six little Bunkers to guessing, and they named first one thing and then another, but Mrs. Bunker only shook her head, laughed, and told them they would have to wait to find out about the secret.