Freddy and the Dragon Read Free

two. I’ll ride over and see you when I’ve got something definite.”
    Jimmy’s face brightened. “I knew you’d think of something,” he said. “I’ll be waiting for you.” And he rode off.
    â€œWhat is this bright idea of yours?” Jinx asked as they went up the front walk.
    â€œHaven’t got any,” said Freddy. “But I hated to see him look so downcast.”
    The cat sniffed. “He’ll look downcast er when he finds that out.”
    â€œOh, I’ll think of something,” said the pig, and rang the bell.

CHAPTER 2
    When Freddy had gone into the detective business, Mrs. Peppercorn had been one of his first clients. She had lost her spectacles. She had hunted all over the house for them. When Freddy was called in, he found them at once; they were up on her forehead where she had pushed them and forgotten them.
    Mrs. Peppercorn never ceased to marvel at Freddy’s cleverness in finding them so quickly. She told all her friends about it, and he got a number of cases in Centerboro because of it which he wouldn’t otherwise have had.
    She became very friendly with the Beans and their animals. Jinx frequently came down and took her to the movies, and she was the only person in Centerboro who would ride with Uncle Ben in his atomic-powered station wagon, which, when you stepped on the accelerator, frequently took thirty-foot bounds through the air. Also, she had accompanied Uncle Ben and the animals on that first trial run in his space ship, when he had tried to reach Mars.
    She greeted Freddy and Jinx warmly, and took them into the living-room. A little old lady with a very red nose was sitting in a rocking-chair, sneezing. She looked very old.
    â€œAunt Min,” said Mrs. Peppercorn, “this is Frederick Bean, the famous detective, and Mr. Jinx Bean, his associate. My aunt, Mrs. Talcum.”
    Mrs. Talcum gave one final tremendous sneeze and said: “Pleased to beet you.”
    â€œSorry you have such a cold, ma’am,” said Freddy politely.
    â€œHay fever,” said Mrs. Peppercorn, and Mrs. Talcum said: “Cubs od every subber.”
    â€œMust be very trying,” said Jinx sympathetically.
    â€œDot at all,” said Mrs. Talcum. She rubbed her nose vigorously with her handkerchief, leaving it even redder than before. “Sdeezig is—a … a … a— chew ! is very edjoyable. I biss it id the widder tibe. Always look forward to subber ad a good bout of sdeezig.” She gave a cackling laugh which got mixed up with a fresh sneeze and ended in a magnificent “Cha-cha- how!”
    â€œThat’s true,” said Jinx politely. “I like a good sneeze myself.”
    Mrs. Talcum nodded. “Two hudred years ago,” she said, “folks took sduff to bake ’eb sdeeze. Dew how to get edjoybedt out of life id those days. Do do what’s cub over people today. Parties ad busic ad dadcig, whed there’s just as buch fud id a good sdeezig fit.”
    â€œThat’s right,” said Freddy. “The simple pleasures are the best.”
    â€œHard to talk, though,” said Jinx, “when you doze—I mean your nose—is stopped up.”
    Mrs. Talcum shook her head. “Odly letters you cad’t say are ed ad eb. Two out of tweddy-six. That aid buch.”
    â€œI’m going to take these gentlemen out and show them the garden, Aunt Min,” said Mrs. Peppercorn, and Mrs. Talcum dismissed them with a wave of the hand and a double-barreled sneeze.
    Mrs. Peppercorn’s garden was a mess. Flower beds and plants were uprooted and trampled, and in the vegetable garden evidently peas and beans and corn had been picked and carried off. And there too the plants had been uprooted.
    Freddy stared around in consternation. “Golly!” he said.
    â€œExactly,” said Mrs. Peppercorn. “And this is only one of half a dozen gardens that have been raided in the