when I passed your bedroom window your clock was still going. I heard it ticking. So the thief came after I had passed by.”
Bugs suddenly moved close to Encyclopedia. His voice lowered.
“Listen,” he said. “If you don’t ruin my show, I’ll cut you in for a share of the dimes. Sure, the moon man is fake. The kids are looking at Duke Kelly through the big end of a telescope, not through a window. But it’s my telescope. You can’t prove I’m not telling the truth about it. So why not join me?”
“I wouldn’t join you if you were a circus parade,” said Encyclopedia. “Besides, I can prove you’re not telling the truth!”
HOW?
The Case of the Bird Watcher
Bugs Meany had one great aim in life.
It was to get even with Encyclopedia Brown.
With Encyclopedia on the job, Bugs and his Tigers couldn’t get away with stealing so much as a leaky balloon.
Bugs hated being outsmarted. He thought a great deal about Encyclopedia’s stomach. He longed to sock it till Encyclopedia hurt clear up to the roof of his mouth.
But Bugs never let fly a punch. Whenever he felt like it, he remembered Sally Kimball.
Sally was the prettiest girl in the fifth grade. And she had done what no other child under twelve had dreamed was possible. She had wiped the grass with Bugs Meany!
Bugs was bullying a cub scout when it happened. Sally told him to stop. Bugs sneered.
Sally raised her fists. Bugs laughed.
Wham! went Sally. Plop! went Bugs. When he got up, she dropped him again. Then she went to work in earnest. Biff! Bam! Pow!
After a minute Bugs reached an important decision. It was healthier to play the part of an ironing board than a prize fighter. He lay flat and stiff till Sally biked away.
Because of Sally, Bugs never roughed up Encyclopedia. Sally was the detective’s junior partner.
However, Bugs didn’t stop trying to get revenge. He only gave up the idea of using force.
“Watch out for him, Encyclopedia,” Sally warned. “He’s like a tube of toothpaste—the harder you press him, the more he tries to come out on top.”
“I think he’s in the middle of trying,” said Encyclopedia.
“What do you mean?” asked Sally.
“Yesterday I received a letter signed ‘Bill.’ The writer told me to meet him behind Mr. Dunning’s gas station at sunrise this morning,” said Encyclopedia. “He enclosed twenty-five cents.”
“Did you go?”
“Sure,” said Encyclopedia. “But nobody showed up.”
“I’ll bet Bugs wrote the letter,” said Sally. “It’s some kind of plan to get you in trouble.”
“We’ll know in a minute,” said Encyclopedia. “Here he comes.”
A police car had stopped in front of the Brown garage. Officer Rand and Bugs climbed out.
“That’s him!” shouted Bugs, pointing at Encyclopedia. “Mr. Goody-Goody himself! He let the air out of the tires of Mr. Dunning’s truck this morning. I saw him, the dirty little sneak.”
“Where were you at sunrise this morning?” Officer Rand asked Encyclopedia.
Bugs groaned and rubbed his ears.
“Why ... I was at Mr. Dunning’s gas station,” replied Encyclopedia. “I saw his tow truck parked in back, but I didn’t touch it.”
“Man, oh man!” cried Bugs. “If lies were peanuts, this kid could choke a hippo with a flip of the lip.”
“Cool off, Bugs,” said Officer Rand. “We’ll get to the truth.” He turned to Encyclopedia. “What were you doing at the gas station so early in the morning?”
Encyclopedia explained about the letter asking him to be there. All the while, Bugs groaned and rubbed his ears as if he couldn’t bear to hear such a terrible lie.
“That’s a mighty strange story,” said Officer Rand when Encyclopedia had finished.
“Golly,” said Sally. “Encyclopedia wouldn’t let the air out of anything—except maybe Bugs!”
“Somebody let the air out of the truck’s tires and gave Mr. Dunning a lot of extra work this morning,” said Officer Rand.
“What were you doing near
Bugs suddenly moved close to Encyclopedia. His voice lowered.
“Listen,” he said. “If you don’t ruin my show, I’ll cut you in for a share of the dimes. Sure, the moon man is fake. The kids are looking at Duke Kelly through the big end of a telescope, not through a window. But it’s my telescope. You can’t prove I’m not telling the truth about it. So why not join me?”
“I wouldn’t join you if you were a circus parade,” said Encyclopedia. “Besides, I can prove you’re not telling the truth!”
HOW?
The Case of the Bird Watcher
Bugs Meany had one great aim in life.
It was to get even with Encyclopedia Brown.
With Encyclopedia on the job, Bugs and his Tigers couldn’t get away with stealing so much as a leaky balloon.
Bugs hated being outsmarted. He thought a great deal about Encyclopedia’s stomach. He longed to sock it till Encyclopedia hurt clear up to the roof of his mouth.
But Bugs never let fly a punch. Whenever he felt like it, he remembered Sally Kimball.
Sally was the prettiest girl in the fifth grade. And she had done what no other child under twelve had dreamed was possible. She had wiped the grass with Bugs Meany!
Bugs was bullying a cub scout when it happened. Sally told him to stop. Bugs sneered.
Sally raised her fists. Bugs laughed.
Wham! went Sally. Plop! went Bugs. When he got up, she dropped him again. Then she went to work in earnest. Biff! Bam! Pow!
After a minute Bugs reached an important decision. It was healthier to play the part of an ironing board than a prize fighter. He lay flat and stiff till Sally biked away.
Because of Sally, Bugs never roughed up Encyclopedia. Sally was the detective’s junior partner.
However, Bugs didn’t stop trying to get revenge. He only gave up the idea of using force.
“Watch out for him, Encyclopedia,” Sally warned. “He’s like a tube of toothpaste—the harder you press him, the more he tries to come out on top.”
“I think he’s in the middle of trying,” said Encyclopedia.
“What do you mean?” asked Sally.
“Yesterday I received a letter signed ‘Bill.’ The writer told me to meet him behind Mr. Dunning’s gas station at sunrise this morning,” said Encyclopedia. “He enclosed twenty-five cents.”
“Did you go?”
“Sure,” said Encyclopedia. “But nobody showed up.”
“I’ll bet Bugs wrote the letter,” said Sally. “It’s some kind of plan to get you in trouble.”
“We’ll know in a minute,” said Encyclopedia. “Here he comes.”
A police car had stopped in front of the Brown garage. Officer Rand and Bugs climbed out.
“That’s him!” shouted Bugs, pointing at Encyclopedia. “Mr. Goody-Goody himself! He let the air out of the tires of Mr. Dunning’s truck this morning. I saw him, the dirty little sneak.”
“Where were you at sunrise this morning?” Officer Rand asked Encyclopedia.
Bugs groaned and rubbed his ears.
“Why ... I was at Mr. Dunning’s gas station,” replied Encyclopedia. “I saw his tow truck parked in back, but I didn’t touch it.”
“Man, oh man!” cried Bugs. “If lies were peanuts, this kid could choke a hippo with a flip of the lip.”
“Cool off, Bugs,” said Officer Rand. “We’ll get to the truth.” He turned to Encyclopedia. “What were you doing at the gas station so early in the morning?”
Encyclopedia explained about the letter asking him to be there. All the while, Bugs groaned and rubbed his ears as if he couldn’t bear to hear such a terrible lie.
“That’s a mighty strange story,” said Officer Rand when Encyclopedia had finished.
“Golly,” said Sally. “Encyclopedia wouldn’t let the air out of anything—except maybe Bugs!”
“Somebody let the air out of the truck’s tires and gave Mr. Dunning a lot of extra work this morning,” said Officer Rand.
“What were you doing near
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