CHAPTER V 



THE SPIRIT OF SECRET VALLEY 



Although Tommy calls the places where he 

 knows certain wild flowers grow " bunks," he 

 talks sometimes about Secret Valley. It is far 

 away from any house and dark enough to scare 

 most girls, even when the sun shines, and so full 

 of water that no one could go there and come 

 out again without getting pretty wet. One day 

 he said: 



" The trouble with Secret Valley is that you 

 never know just where your foot is going when 

 you put It down. You think to set it on a little 

 hill of grass, but it often slips off, and you go 

 knee-deep in the water. Peter would rather do 

 anything than go to Secret Valley. The water 

 there is not the kind he likes for a good swim. It 

 is covered with pale green stuff, like seaweed, and 

 never looks bright and shiny." 



It is in the spring that Tommy goes to Secret 

 Valley. Then he can see better where he is step- 

 ping than when tall weeds cover up the slippery 

 places. The valley always looks cheerful in the 

 spring because then the Spice Bush is blooming, 

 and thousands of its tiny, yellow flowers give the 

 place a real sunshiny look. 



Like the Red Maple it blooms in early April, 

 29 



