The Mystery at the Fair Read Free Page A

Benny.
    â€œWell, then,” Jessie said. “If you’re going to make two pies, you and Benny will have to stop eating the blueberries as fast as we put them in the bucket!”
    â€œLet’s have a blueberry picking race,” Violet suggested.
    â€œYes,” Henry said. “Let’s see who fills their bucket first.”
    â€œReady, set, go!” Courtney said.
    The children began to pick the berries as fast as they could. Soon their buckets were filled with the sweet fruit.
    â€œWe won! We won!” Michael and Benny said, holding up their bucket.
    â€œThere’s nothing like teamwork,” Henry said. “Now we have plenty of blueberries to make into a pie!”
    â€œTwo pies!” Michael and Benny said together.
    Everyone laughed.
    â€œI think I’d like to enter something in the fair, too,” Courtney said.
    â€œWe can show you where the entry forms are,” Violet said. “The poster is on a lamppost near our house. Your new house on Murray Street is only three blocks away from where we live. You can walk home with us.”
    As they headed home, the girls tried to decide what they would make to enter in the fair.
    â€œI love to make jewelry,” Jessie said. “Maybe I can make something that will win a prize.”
    â€œI love making jewelry, too,” Courtney said, smiling at her new friend.
    â€œI think I’m going to paint a picture,” Violet said.
    â€œLet me guess,” Henry said. “I’ll bet you’re going to paint a picture of some violets.”
    â€œYes,” Violet said, laughing. “But there will be some other pretty flowers in the picture, too.”
    The children continued to walk and talk until suddenly Henry stopped.
    â€œLook!” Henry said, pointing to the lamppost where the entry forms had been. “Someone’s torn up the poster!”
    The children gathered around the post. Scraps of paper littered the ground.
    â€œWho would do something like this?” Henry said as he picked up the bits of paper.
    â€œI’ll bet it was the man in the baseball cap,” Benny said.
    â€œWhat man?” Courtney asked.
    â€œThere was a man who was here earlier,” Jessie explained. “He was asking us a lot of questions about our entries.”
    â€œBut why would he tear up all the entry forms?” Michael asked. “That’s mean.”
    â€œIt’s a mystery to me,” Henry said. He looked at his sister and grinned.
    â€œWe love mysteries,” Jessie explained to Courtney.
    â€œWell, this looks like a good one,” Courtney said. “I really want to enter that craft contest. I wonder where I can get another entry form?”
    â€œWe can make something together,” Jessie suggested. “That way we can use the same form.”
    â€œThank you,” Courtney said. “If we work together it won’t take very long to make something.”
    â€œAnd working together makes the project more fun,” Jessie said. “Why don’t you come over tomorrow morning so we can get started.”
    â€œThat will be fine,” Courtney said. “See you then.”
    â€œWe can bake our pies tomorrow, too,” Benny said.
    â€œYes,” Michael said. “One for the contest and one to eat.”
    â€œI can hardly wait until tomorrow,” Benny said as he waved good-bye to their new neighbors. “I love blueberry pie.”
    The next morning, Violet and Jessie got up early and went out to the boxcar. They had just opened the boxes that held their art supplies when they heard someone calling their names.
    â€œJessie! Violet!” Courtney called out. “Where are you?”
    â€œWe’re in the boxcar,” Violet said.
    â€œHere we are, Courtney,” Jessie said, waving to her new friend from the doorway. “Where’s Michael?”
    â€œHe’s in the kitchen with Henry and Benny,” Courtney replied.