tapping started up in the entryway.
Curious about the sounds, Henry took a few steps toward the swinging door.
“Go out the way you came in,” Brad advised. “Martha’s in a bad mood about something she lost. Better not get in her way.”
Henry hesitated. “Oh, I don’t think that’s Martha. She was working in the library just a little while ago. It’s probably Mr. Percy. I saw his car in the driveway.”
“Well, never mind,” Brad said. “Just get yourself back outside. Martha’s going to have somebody’s head if those tents and tables don’t go up this afternoon.”
Henry returned to his brother and sisters. They had set up the tables already. “Here’s the toolbox. Boy, people can’t get us out of that house fast enough today.”
Henry wasn’t one to stay in a grouchy mood, not when he had a plan. Soon he was busy searching through Mr. Alden’s toolbox. “Aha!” he said, and pulled out just what he was looking for — a tangled bunch of old eyeglasses. He spread them on one of the tables.
Henry didn’t waste time. He carefully cut one of the long cardboard tubes into four shorter lengths. Then he cut a hole in the side of each tube. “This is the end I’ll look into,” he explained to Benny, pointing at the opening at the end of one tube. “But this” he pointed to the hole he had just cut in the side, “is what I’ll see out of.”
“How can you look in the end and see out the side?” asked Benny.
“By putting mirrors inside,” Henry explained. “Watch.”
Henry reached back into the toolbox and pulled out several small old mirrors. “Perfect,” he said.
“Thank goodness I didn’t throw out the glass cutter that came with the crafts kit Aunt Jane gave me for my birthday,” Violet said.
“Mrs. McGregor always says we never throw away anything,” Benny said proudly.
This was true. The Aldens were savers. Good thing Grandfather had a huge cellar and garage, plus the old boxcar for storing all the things the children had to save.
Henry carefully measured and cut the old mirrors and fitted them inside the cardboard tubes.
“Done!” he announced and handed a periscope to each of his siblings.
Jessie squinted into hers. “I kind of see ... oh, wait. I do see something. The dogs are on the porch.”
Benny could spot Ruff and Tumble without the help of the periscope, but he still wanted to try Henry’s contraption. “Wow!” he said, peering through. “Hey, if I hold it this way, I can see things up high.”
Periscopes in hand, the Aldens set off to explore.
Since Benny was the shortest Alden, Henry had given him the longest periscope. He immediately discovered a bird’s nest under some porch shingles. “Everybody’s flown away,” he said to himself as he peered into the empty nest. He decided against looking any closer at a hornet’s nest poking from behind some shutters. “No way.”
Benny walked along the side of the house, turning his periscope this way and that to see what else he could discover. He decided to look through one of the tall first-floor windows. Balancing the periscope carefully, he gazed through the hole. The view he saw was a little wavy. It looked like the bottom half of a person. If only he were a little taller.
Benny ran over to Henry, who was using his periscope to look around a corner of the house. “Can you put me on your shoulders? I’m looking in a high-up window over here, but I can only see half a person.”
“Maybe whoever it is lost her head!” Henry joked.
Benny giggled. “I can’t tell if it’s a him or a her. I need you to boost me up.”
“Ugh,” Henry said as he lifted Benny. “Next time we do this, let’s try it before lunch, not afterward. You feel as if you have stones in your pocket.”
“I do,” Benny said. “For skipping stones on the pond. I can throw them out if I’m too heavy.”
Henry grunted. “Nope. I can hold you,” he said. He carefully carried Benny over to the side of the
Curious about the sounds, Henry took a few steps toward the swinging door.
“Go out the way you came in,” Brad advised. “Martha’s in a bad mood about something she lost. Better not get in her way.”
Henry hesitated. “Oh, I don’t think that’s Martha. She was working in the library just a little while ago. It’s probably Mr. Percy. I saw his car in the driveway.”
“Well, never mind,” Brad said. “Just get yourself back outside. Martha’s going to have somebody’s head if those tents and tables don’t go up this afternoon.”
Henry returned to his brother and sisters. They had set up the tables already. “Here’s the toolbox. Boy, people can’t get us out of that house fast enough today.”
Henry wasn’t one to stay in a grouchy mood, not when he had a plan. Soon he was busy searching through Mr. Alden’s toolbox. “Aha!” he said, and pulled out just what he was looking for — a tangled bunch of old eyeglasses. He spread them on one of the tables.
Henry didn’t waste time. He carefully cut one of the long cardboard tubes into four shorter lengths. Then he cut a hole in the side of each tube. “This is the end I’ll look into,” he explained to Benny, pointing at the opening at the end of one tube. “But this” he pointed to the hole he had just cut in the side, “is what I’ll see out of.”
“How can you look in the end and see out the side?” asked Benny.
“By putting mirrors inside,” Henry explained. “Watch.”
Henry reached back into the toolbox and pulled out several small old mirrors. “Perfect,” he said.
“Thank goodness I didn’t throw out the glass cutter that came with the crafts kit Aunt Jane gave me for my birthday,” Violet said.
“Mrs. McGregor always says we never throw away anything,” Benny said proudly.
This was true. The Aldens were savers. Good thing Grandfather had a huge cellar and garage, plus the old boxcar for storing all the things the children had to save.
Henry carefully measured and cut the old mirrors and fitted them inside the cardboard tubes.
“Done!” he announced and handed a periscope to each of his siblings.
Jessie squinted into hers. “I kind of see ... oh, wait. I do see something. The dogs are on the porch.”
Benny could spot Ruff and Tumble without the help of the periscope, but he still wanted to try Henry’s contraption. “Wow!” he said, peering through. “Hey, if I hold it this way, I can see things up high.”
Periscopes in hand, the Aldens set off to explore.
Since Benny was the shortest Alden, Henry had given him the longest periscope. He immediately discovered a bird’s nest under some porch shingles. “Everybody’s flown away,” he said to himself as he peered into the empty nest. He decided against looking any closer at a hornet’s nest poking from behind some shutters. “No way.”
Benny walked along the side of the house, turning his periscope this way and that to see what else he could discover. He decided to look through one of the tall first-floor windows. Balancing the periscope carefully, he gazed through the hole. The view he saw was a little wavy. It looked like the bottom half of a person. If only he were a little taller.
Benny ran over to Henry, who was using his periscope to look around a corner of the house. “Can you put me on your shoulders? I’m looking in a high-up window over here, but I can only see half a person.”
“Maybe whoever it is lost her head!” Henry joked.
Benny giggled. “I can’t tell if it’s a him or a her. I need you to boost me up.”
“Ugh,” Henry said as he lifted Benny. “Next time we do this, let’s try it before lunch, not afterward. You feel as if you have stones in your pocket.”
“I do,” Benny said. “For skipping stones on the pond. I can throw them out if I’m too heavy.”
Henry grunted. “Nope. I can hold you,” he said. He carefully carried Benny over to the side of the
Similar Books
