Mystery in the Fortune Cookie by Gertrude Chandler Warner

what else could Auntie Two have meant?
    Benny looked over at his brother and sisters. “Should we warn Dottie?”
    Henry answered first. “Let’s not push the panic button yet. This is pretty suspicious, but we’d better not say anything until we have more information.”
    “Whatever is going on with Martin,” said Benny, “it’s connected somehow to the fortune cookie mystery. I’m sure of it.” He paused. Then he added, “That means there’s only one thing for us to do.”
    The others looked at him. “What’s that?” said Violet.
    “Solve the fortune cookie mystery,” Benny stated firmly. “And fast!”

CHAPTER 8
The Mysterious Disappearance
    Aunt Jane gave the children a smile as they walked into the kitchen. “How did you make out in town?” she asked.
    “You’ll never guess what happened!” Benny shouted, running up and giving her a hug.
    Laughing, Aunt Jane returned the hug. “What, Benny?”
    “We found another fortune cookie!” he told her.
    “I have to hand it to you,” said Aunt Jane, looking around at them. “You children really have a way of figuring things out.” She sounded proud.
    “We haven’t opened it yet,” Henry said. “We were waiting until we got here.”
    Aunt Jane poured some lemonade for everyone, and the children sat down at the table. Henry broke the latest fortune cookie in half and pulled out the fortune. He stared at the little slip of paper for a moment. Then he said, “Looks like a rebus.”
    “A what ?” asked Benny.
    “A rebus,” repeated Henry. “It’s a puzzle with pictures and symbols.”
    “There’s a hidden message in it,” added Aunt Jane as she pulled up a chair. “You have to ‘read’ the pictures to figure out what the rebus is trying to tell you.”
    Henry passed the fortune to Violet. She studied the puzzle. “It looks like two ants, a cow, a bird, barbells, the number 4, and the letter U.” She turned the fortune over and read aloud the message on the back. “ For an answer to a rhyme, Friday evening is the time .”
    “Tomorrow’s Friday!” Benny realized.

    “That’s true.” Violet took a sip of her lemonade. The ice cubes clinked in her glass. “That doesn’t give us much time to come up with an answer.”
    “I don’t understand it,” Aunt Jane said, shaking her head. “Why would someone make up all these codes and clues for you?”
    “Did you check out the i ’s?” Henry asked. “They’re all dotted with little hearts again.”
    Jessie frowned for a moment. “I wonder what it means.”
    “What I don’t understand is, how can you read pictures?” Benny said, still unsure about the rebus.
    “Maybe I can show you, Benny,” offered Violet. She stood up and got her sketch pad and pencils. Sitting down again, she quickly drew her own rebus. Violet was a good artist. “Can you figure this one out, Benny?” She held it up. “It’s a question.”
    “It is?” Benny said.
    Violet nodded. “When I point to each symbol, you tell me what it is.”
    Benny moved closer for a better look at Violet’s drawing. It showed a tin can, the letter U, the letter C, and a wishing well. Benny spoke as Violet pointed. “Can ... U ... C ... well. Oh! Can you see well? That’s the question.”
    “You got it!” said Violet, clapping her hands.
    “You catch on fast, Benny,” Henry praised. “No wonder you’re such a good detective.”
    “Now, let’s see if we can figure out the fortune cookie rebus,” suggested Jessie.
    Benny was eager to give it a try. “Ants ... cow ... bird ... barbells ... 4 ... U,” he said as he looked over Jessie’s shoulder. “What does that mean?”
    Aunt Jane couldn’t keep from laughing. “Doesn’t make much sense, does it?”
    “Well, I know one thing for sure,” Benny said with a sigh. “All this detective work is making me hungry!”
    “ Everything makes you hungry, Benny!” teased Henry.
    Aunt Jane smiled at her youngest nephew. “If you can wait a while longer, I’ll get