Mystery of the Traveling Tomatoes by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page A
Authors: Gertrude Chandler Warner
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more than enough for a vending machine. Let’s go to that one we saw at the bank”
At the bank, Benny studied the goodies in the vending machine window. So many wonderful choices! Should he buy cookies, something salty, or something chewy? As he tried to decide, the vending machine man came and began refilling the machine.
“That’s the one!” cried Benny as the man refilled the last row with red-wrapped candy bars. “That’s the one I want to try.”
“You sure?” asked the man, closing the door.
“Yup,” said Benny. He fed his dollar into the machine and pressed C-5. Out came a Chili-Billy Bar. Benny tore off the wrapper and took a big bite. He chewed and chewed, waiting for the sweet candy to fill his mouth. He stopped chewing. His eyes grew wide. Wider. “Oh,” he said. “Ohhhhhh.” The candy was spicy hot!
He ran to the drinking fountain. For a long time he stood there, letting the water cool his tongue. “Yuck!” he said at last.
Violet picked up the red Chili-Billy bar Benny dropped. She recognized it at once. “This is the same red wrapper Fenster threw on the ground at the park,” she said.
“That candy is hard to find,” said the vending machine man. “Most places don’t carry it. Last week, some guy bought my entire supply. He was going on a trip and wanted to take some with him.”
Benny still had the yucky taste in his mouth when the children stopped at the police station. They told Chief Morgan about the wigs and uniform rented by a Mr. Malfrat. “Malfrat?” said the chief. His thick eyebrows came together. “That’s an interesting name. French, I think.”
“May I please have some water?” asked Benny.
Chief Morgan brought him a nice big cup. “Here you go, Benny.” He looked at the others. “Anyone else need some watering?”
“Watering?” gasped Jessie. “Oh my gosh! This is Tuesday. This is the day we water the garden.”
Watering was one of the most important garden chores. It was also the most fun. And the work would keep the children busy. Maybe, by the time they finished, they’d find out what the detectives had found in the robber’s van.
CHAPTER 10
The Scarecrow’s Surprise
The Aldens finished watering the plants and turned off their hoses. Mrs. Shea carried a pitcher of lemonade out to the garden. The children joined her and the twins in the shade of a large oak tree. Henry leaned back on his elbows and looked at their garden. Spooky the Scarecrow smiled his crooked smile.
“What do you use those green bags for?” asked Henry.
“Green bags?” said Mrs. Shea.
Henry pointed at the scarecrow. “Like the one we used to make Spooky’s head.”
“I thought you found that bag in the alley,” said Mrs. Shea.
“We did,” Benny explained. “But the metal detector man had bags just like that. He found them in your garbage cans, too.”
Mrs. Shea shrugged. “David and I don’t use them. I have no idea where they’re from.” The twins began fussing, and she took them inside for their naps.
Henry went over and walked slowly around the scarecrow, staring at its head. Suddenly, he reached up and ripped the head right off Spooky’s body.
“Henry!” cried Violet. “I worked hard stitching that head to Grandfather’s shirt.”
“Sorry,” said Henry, bringing them the scarecrow head. He set it on the ground. “Don’t these look like letters?” asked Henry.
Behind the mouth and eyes that Benny had drawn, they could make out faint letters:
r enf eld B n
Violet ran to her bike bag and brought back a black marker. The others watched as the young artist slowly traced over the letters. Then she filled in the faded letters:
Greenfield Bank
“This is the bank’s money bag!” said Jessie.” The thief must have buried the money right here after the robbery.”
Benny jumped up. “We’ve been gardening on top of bags of stolen money?”
“That’s explains why your tomatoes were moving,” said Henry. “The thief hid the money under
At the bank, Benny studied the goodies in the vending machine window. So many wonderful choices! Should he buy cookies, something salty, or something chewy? As he tried to decide, the vending machine man came and began refilling the machine.
“That’s the one!” cried Benny as the man refilled the last row with red-wrapped candy bars. “That’s the one I want to try.”
“You sure?” asked the man, closing the door.
“Yup,” said Benny. He fed his dollar into the machine and pressed C-5. Out came a Chili-Billy Bar. Benny tore off the wrapper and took a big bite. He chewed and chewed, waiting for the sweet candy to fill his mouth. He stopped chewing. His eyes grew wide. Wider. “Oh,” he said. “Ohhhhhh.” The candy was spicy hot!
He ran to the drinking fountain. For a long time he stood there, letting the water cool his tongue. “Yuck!” he said at last.
Violet picked up the red Chili-Billy bar Benny dropped. She recognized it at once. “This is the same red wrapper Fenster threw on the ground at the park,” she said.
“That candy is hard to find,” said the vending machine man. “Most places don’t carry it. Last week, some guy bought my entire supply. He was going on a trip and wanted to take some with him.”
Benny still had the yucky taste in his mouth when the children stopped at the police station. They told Chief Morgan about the wigs and uniform rented by a Mr. Malfrat. “Malfrat?” said the chief. His thick eyebrows came together. “That’s an interesting name. French, I think.”
“May I please have some water?” asked Benny.
Chief Morgan brought him a nice big cup. “Here you go, Benny.” He looked at the others. “Anyone else need some watering?”
“Watering?” gasped Jessie. “Oh my gosh! This is Tuesday. This is the day we water the garden.”
Watering was one of the most important garden chores. It was also the most fun. And the work would keep the children busy. Maybe, by the time they finished, they’d find out what the detectives had found in the robber’s van.
CHAPTER 10
The Scarecrow’s Surprise
The Aldens finished watering the plants and turned off their hoses. Mrs. Shea carried a pitcher of lemonade out to the garden. The children joined her and the twins in the shade of a large oak tree. Henry leaned back on his elbows and looked at their garden. Spooky the Scarecrow smiled his crooked smile.
“What do you use those green bags for?” asked Henry.
“Green bags?” said Mrs. Shea.
Henry pointed at the scarecrow. “Like the one we used to make Spooky’s head.”
“I thought you found that bag in the alley,” said Mrs. Shea.
“We did,” Benny explained. “But the metal detector man had bags just like that. He found them in your garbage cans, too.”
Mrs. Shea shrugged. “David and I don’t use them. I have no idea where they’re from.” The twins began fussing, and she took them inside for their naps.
Henry went over and walked slowly around the scarecrow, staring at its head. Suddenly, he reached up and ripped the head right off Spooky’s body.
“Henry!” cried Violet. “I worked hard stitching that head to Grandfather’s shirt.”
“Sorry,” said Henry, bringing them the scarecrow head. He set it on the ground. “Don’t these look like letters?” asked Henry.
Behind the mouth and eyes that Benny had drawn, they could make out faint letters:
r enf eld B n
Violet ran to her bike bag and brought back a black marker. The others watched as the young artist slowly traced over the letters. Then she filled in the faded letters:
Greenfield Bank
“This is the bank’s money bag!” said Jessie.” The thief must have buried the money right here after the robbery.”
Benny jumped up. “We’ve been gardening on top of bags of stolen money?”
“That’s explains why your tomatoes were moving,” said Henry. “The thief hid the money under
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