thick shake into glasses when the doorbell rang.
“Don’t anybody take a drink of mine,” Wally warned as he went to the door and opened it.
There stood Caroline and her sisters holding a hatbox.
“Mom sent this over,” Caroline said, holding out the box. “It’s a pumpkin pie.”
Wally could not believe this was happening. The girls didn’t look as though they liked this any more than he did, but Wally couldn’t be sure.
“Who is it, Wally?” called Jake.
“A pie,” said Wally.
“Who? ”
Peter came running to the doorway and stared down through the cellophane top of the hatbox. “It’s a pumpkin pie!” he said.
“Enjoy,” said Eddie, and the girls turned and walked away.
“Don’t forget to return the plate,” Beth called over her shoulder.
All four boys were standing at the door now.
“I don’t think their mom baked this at all,” said Josh. “I’ll bet there’s a trick to it.”
“That’s what they thought when they threw our cake in the river,” Wally reminded him.
“Just the same, I’ll bet it’s made of dog doo or something. I’ll bet the girls are ticked off because of what I drew on the back of my math paper.” Josh stared hard at the pie.
Wally opened the lid and took a cautious sniff. “Sure doesn’t smell like dog doo.”
“I still think there’s something gross in it. Like centipedes. Bugs of some kind.”
They took the pie to the kitchen and Wally lifted it out of the box. He accidentally let go of one side too soon, and it fell to the table with a plop. A large crack appeared on the top of the pie.
“Hoo boy!” said Wally.
“It’s okay. That will give us a chance to see ifthere’s anything in the middle of it,” said Jake. He got out Mother’s magnifying glass and held it over the crack in the pie.
“See anything?” asked Wally.
“Not yet. Give me a butter knife.”
Wally handed him a knife, and Jake probed gently down into the crack, then pulled the knife out and looked at the pumpkin coating it. “Looks okay, but I wouldn’t be too sure.”
“They probably wouldn’t have stuck anything right in the middle of it,” Josh said. “If I were going to put something gross in a pie, I’d stick it along the edge of the crust where you wouldn’t think to look.”
Jake took the knife and probed every few inches near the edge of the pie. With a spoon he lifted out a little bit of pumpkin chiffon here and a little there, examining it closely. It appeared to be only pumpkin.
“We still ought to taste it,” he said. “It still could be made with pee. Who wants the first taste?”
“Not me!” said Wally.
“Don’t look at me,” said Josh.
Everyone turned to Peter.
“You always make me do everything!” Peter wailed.
“Oh, I’ll take the first bite,” said Jake. He liftedthe spoon to his lips and touched it first with his tongue. Then he actually put some in his mouth and rolled it around a moment, swallowing. “I’ll be darned,” he said. “It’s good.”
“Let me see,” said Josh. Another bite. “You’re right. It’s great!”
“Give me some,” said Peter, jabbing a spoon down right in the middle and lifting out a large bite.
And then Wally saw the note stuck to the bottom of the box. “Oh, no!” he said.
Dear Ellen—
Just wanted you to know how much we appreciated your boys washing our windows. There is such a wonderful sense of community here. Thank you so much for helping us to feel at home. Hope you enjoy my pumpkin chiffon pie—it’s my great-aunt’s recipe, and sort of a tradition at our house in October.
Cordially,
Jean Malloy
“Oh, brother!” said Josh.
“We,” added Jake, “are in big trouble.”
They stared down at the pie, which looked as though squirrels had been walking through it ingolf shoes. Bites had been taken out of it here and there.
“Mom will kill us if she sees this!” said Wally. Mother always said that a gift of food should be enjoyed three ways: first with the eyes, then
“Don’t anybody take a drink of mine,” Wally warned as he went to the door and opened it.
There stood Caroline and her sisters holding a hatbox.
“Mom sent this over,” Caroline said, holding out the box. “It’s a pumpkin pie.”
Wally could not believe this was happening. The girls didn’t look as though they liked this any more than he did, but Wally couldn’t be sure.
“Who is it, Wally?” called Jake.
“A pie,” said Wally.
“Who? ”
Peter came running to the doorway and stared down through the cellophane top of the hatbox. “It’s a pumpkin pie!” he said.
“Enjoy,” said Eddie, and the girls turned and walked away.
“Don’t forget to return the plate,” Beth called over her shoulder.
All four boys were standing at the door now.
“I don’t think their mom baked this at all,” said Josh. “I’ll bet there’s a trick to it.”
“That’s what they thought when they threw our cake in the river,” Wally reminded him.
“Just the same, I’ll bet it’s made of dog doo or something. I’ll bet the girls are ticked off because of what I drew on the back of my math paper.” Josh stared hard at the pie.
Wally opened the lid and took a cautious sniff. “Sure doesn’t smell like dog doo.”
“I still think there’s something gross in it. Like centipedes. Bugs of some kind.”
They took the pie to the kitchen and Wally lifted it out of the box. He accidentally let go of one side too soon, and it fell to the table with a plop. A large crack appeared on the top of the pie.
“Hoo boy!” said Wally.
“It’s okay. That will give us a chance to see ifthere’s anything in the middle of it,” said Jake. He got out Mother’s magnifying glass and held it over the crack in the pie.
“See anything?” asked Wally.
“Not yet. Give me a butter knife.”
Wally handed him a knife, and Jake probed gently down into the crack, then pulled the knife out and looked at the pumpkin coating it. “Looks okay, but I wouldn’t be too sure.”
“They probably wouldn’t have stuck anything right in the middle of it,” Josh said. “If I were going to put something gross in a pie, I’d stick it along the edge of the crust where you wouldn’t think to look.”
Jake took the knife and probed every few inches near the edge of the pie. With a spoon he lifted out a little bit of pumpkin chiffon here and a little there, examining it closely. It appeared to be only pumpkin.
“We still ought to taste it,” he said. “It still could be made with pee. Who wants the first taste?”
“Not me!” said Wally.
“Don’t look at me,” said Josh.
Everyone turned to Peter.
“You always make me do everything!” Peter wailed.
“Oh, I’ll take the first bite,” said Jake. He liftedthe spoon to his lips and touched it first with his tongue. Then he actually put some in his mouth and rolled it around a moment, swallowing. “I’ll be darned,” he said. “It’s good.”
“Let me see,” said Josh. Another bite. “You’re right. It’s great!”
“Give me some,” said Peter, jabbing a spoon down right in the middle and lifting out a large bite.
And then Wally saw the note stuck to the bottom of the box. “Oh, no!” he said.
Dear Ellen—
Just wanted you to know how much we appreciated your boys washing our windows. There is such a wonderful sense of community here. Thank you so much for helping us to feel at home. Hope you enjoy my pumpkin chiffon pie—it’s my great-aunt’s recipe, and sort of a tradition at our house in October.
Cordially,
Jean Malloy
“Oh, brother!” said Josh.
“We,” added Jake, “are in big trouble.”
They stared down at the pie, which looked as though squirrels had been walking through it ingolf shoes. Bites had been taken out of it here and there.
“Mom will kill us if she sees this!” said Wally. Mother always said that a gift of food should be enjoyed three ways: first with the eyes, then
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