The Sleepy Hollow Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page A

said. “That
sounded like a human groan, not a ghost
groan.”
    They crept as quietly as they could down
the path. “It’s just around this bend,” Jessie
said.
    They came to the big tree. “The tube is
still there.” Benny pointed out it.
    “I see something is different.” Henry
walked over to the trunk. “That branch
wasn’t broken before. I used it to get up in
the tree.”
    “Maybe a big animal crashed into it and
broke it,” Violet said.
    Henry shook his head. “Look where it
broke, along the top, just like when someone
is climbing a tree and the branch won’t hold
them. When that happens, it breaks at the
trunk first.”
    “So that means someone was climbing up
the tree,” Jessie said.
    Benny fell to the ground. “And he fell down
like this!”
    “And then he groaned because it hurt,”
Violet added. “But whoever did it ran off.
Let’s see if we can find some clues to tell us
which way he or she ran.”
    While they were looking, Henry’s cell
phone rang. Annika was calling. He put her
on speaker so they could all hear. “Everyone
has canceled their spots on the tour.” She
sounded very upset. “I’ll be there soon to
help bring the wagon back. We won’t be able
to find out who is playing the tricks tonight
after all.”
    “I don’t think anyone will try tonight.” Henry
explained about the broken branch. “We think
whoever is playing tricks fell and got hurt.”
    “We may never solve this mystery,” Annika
said and sighed. “I’ll be there soon.”
    When she arrived, they took the horses
back to the stable and then drove to the
Vanderhoffs’. Margot was outside by the fire
with Mrs. Vanderhoff and Mrs. McGregor.
She was very interested to hear the story of
the broken branch and the tube. “Whoever
is doing that is very clever,” she said.
    “It may be clever, but it’s not very nice,”
Violet said.
    Jessie went to get her notebook. She
brought it back to the fire and sat down.
“I’ve been thinking. Are there other stables
around town where the mystery horse
could live?”
    Margot shuddered. “Don’t ask me. I don’t
keep track of the horses in town.”
    “You don’t like horses?” Violet asked.
    “Not at all.” Margot shuddered again.
“They’re so big that they could trample you
if they got angry. I should be going. Busy day
tomorrow. Let me know if you see or hear
anything else that’s scary.”
    After Margot left, Mrs. Vanderhoff
explained, “Margot has been frightened of
horses ever since she was a little girl. A horse
stepped on her foot one time.”
    “So I guess that means she doesn’t ride
horses,” Henry said.
    Annika laughed. “She certainly doesn’t.
She wouldn’t even ride a horse on a merry-go-round.”
    Benny yawned. “I’m getting sleepy. Ghost
tours even without ghosts make me tired.”
    “It’s time for bed.” Jessie closed her
notebook. “We’ll make a new plan in the
morning.”
    When the Aldens were inside the apartment,
Henry said, “At least we know Margot didn’t
play the tricks. If she’s so scared of horses,
she’s not the rider.”
    “That leaves Isiah, Mr. Beekman, or Brett.”
Violet went to the window and looked out
into the dark. “One of them is still out there
planning more tricks.”

CHAPTER 10
Help from a Horse
    T he next morning after breakfast, the Aldens
helped Annika rake leaves and clean up
outside the front of the shop. They saw Mr.
Beekman struggling to carry a big box up the
steps of the café. His ankle was wrapped in a
bandage.
    “Let me help you,” Henry offered, hurrying
to the café.
    Mr. Beekman looked surprised, but said,
“Thank you. I was afraid I was going to
drop it.”
    Mrs. Vanderhoff came out of the shop.
“Mr. Beekman, what happened to your
ankle?” she asked.
    “I sprained it when I tripped over a broken
step in back,” he said.
    “You should get one of your workers to
carry things in,” Mrs. Vanderhoff scolded.
“The ankle won’t get better unless you rest it.”
    Mr. Beekman