Henry and Jessie and Violet all smiled at one another.
“Come,” said Mr. Yee. “We’ll go to work.”
Once they were inside the garden, Benny went straight to the strawberries and Henry went to the peas and beans.
Jessie and Violet went to the lettuce and carrots. Mr. Yee followed them.
“Oh, no!” cried Violet when they reached the rows of carrots. She pointed to the ground. “The garden thief has been here. He stole all the carrots!”
“What?!” shouted Mr. Yee. “My carrots! I always win a blue ribbon for my carrots!” He was very upset.
Jessie looked around. “Not all the carrots were stolen, Mr. Yee,” she said. “Only some.”
Mr. Yee and Violet looked where Jessie was pointing, and they saw that one long row of carrots had been stolen. But another long row was still growing, the feathery tops standing straight up.
“Ooohhh,” said Violet. “The row of purple carrots is still here. So you can still win prizes for your purple carrots, Mr. Yee.”
Mr. Yee handed the rabbit to Jessie. He stooped down and pulled out a carrot. It was long and straight, with a feathery green top.
Violet could smell the carrot the minute Mr. Yee pulled it out of the ground. “That smells so good,” she said.
Mr. Yee snapped the carrot in half. Then he fed part of the carrot to the rabbit that Jessie was holding.
“We must find out who is stealing our vegetables,” he told the girls. “It is a terrible thing to walk into your garden and find your vegetables missing. I think—” Mr. Yee stopped talking in the middle of his sentence. He pointed.
Jessie and Violet looked to where he was pointing. There, at the far end of the row that once held orange carrots, was a burlap bag. A lumpy burlap bag.
Without speaking, Mr. Yee and Jessie and Violet all walked toward the bag. Mr. Yee took the rabbit from Jessie and held it close. “You look,” he told her.
Jessie knelt down and opened the bag. Inside were carrots: dozens and dozens of orange carrots. She took one out and handed it to Mr. Yee. “Is this one of your carrots?” she asked.
Mr. Yee shook his head. “No,” he said. “I can tell by looking that those aren’t my carrots. The variety I planted grow long and slender. The variety in the bag grows short and chunky. I do not understand,” he said. “Somebody stole my carrots, and then that somebody gave me different carrots.”
Benny and Henry came to see what was wrong, and Jessie told them about the carrots.
Henry picked up the bag of carrots and looked at the burlap bag itself, then at the carrots. “I think we have a lot of clues,” he said, “and we can talk about them at lunch, after we help Mr. Yee with his garden.”
“Good idea,” said Jessie. “I brought my notebook.”
And then the Aldens and Mr. Yee returned to garden work: weeding, thinning, tying up vines and climbing plants, and watering.
* * *
When it was time for lunch, Mr. Yee, still holding the rabbit, went off to see how Roger was doing with his apologies. The children found a shady spot under a big tree that grew nearby. They sat and opened the lunches that Mrs. McGregor had packed for them.
As they ate, they talked.
“I don’t think that Roger is the thief,” said Henry. “He thought that breaking things in people’s gardens would make them want to move. I don’t think he thought about stealing their vegetables.”
Jessie and Benny and Violet agreed.
“Roger was very upset when his cucumbers were stolen,” said Benny. “He was not cool.”
The others laughed.
“No, Benny, he wasn’t as cool as a cucumber,” said Jessie.
“When it comes to the garden thief,” said Henry, “some clues are more important than others.”
“When it comes to the thief, the burlap bags aren’t important,” said Violet as she munched on one of the cucumbers that Mrs. McGregor had packed.
“I agree,” said Jessie. “And when it comes to the thief, the footprints aren’t important, either.”
“Well,” said Benny impatiently, “what is important when it comes to the thief?”
“Green trash bags are important,” said Henry.
“Lucasta has a green trash bag,” offered Benny. “We saw Henry put it away.”
“That’s right,” said Jessie. She paused in the middle of eating her sandwich. “The cobbler’s apron is equally important.”
“We saw a cobbler’s apron hanging in the barn,” said Violet. “But Alex put it away as soon as we saw it.”
“We saw the apron not long after we saw Taylor’s leg weights,” said Jessie thoughtfully. “Her leg weights have pockets, and so does a cobbler’s apron.”
“Are there any more cucumbers?” asked Benny.
Jessie gave him one of hers. “Blue ribbons are also important,” she said.
“Blue ribbons are important to Taylor,” said Henry. “She’s never won one.”
“And to Lucasta,” said Benny. “She wants every one of her rabbits to win a blue ribbon.”
“So,” said Jessie, counting on her fingers, “we have three important clues about the thefts: the green trash bags; the cobbler’s apron; the blue ribbons; and—” She looked at her sister.
“The purple carrots,” said Violet.
“But nobody stole the purple carrots,” Benny argued. “How can they be a clue?”
“Because,” said Henry, “sometimes what isn’t stolen is as important a clue as what is stolen.”
The children got up and brushed the grass and twigs off their shorts.
“I wish the burlap bags were a clue,” said Benny. “I really like the burlap bags!”
Jessie tousled Benny’s hair. “Oh, the burlap bags are an important clue, Benny. They just aren’t a clue to the thief.”
“That’s right,” said Henry. “Where have we seen burlap bags recently?”
“In the Kirk barn,” Benny answered eagerly. “They were hanging on the walls near the rabbit hutches.”
“Taylor was with us,” said Jessie. “She saw them, too.”
“The burlap bags are important,” said Henry, “but what’s inside them is even more important.”
Jessie spoke. “It’s time for another trip to the Kirk barn,” she said.
CHAPTER 10
The Thief
Just as the children finished lunch and their discussion, Mr. Yee arrived back at his garden, still holding the rabbit.
Taylor came out of her garden and locked the gate. “I’m going to the Kirk barn,” she said, “to tell Alex he has to stop stealing our vegetables.”
“We’re going there, too,” said Jessie, “to tell the thief to stop stealing.”
Taylor looked at Jessie. “Hmmm,” said Taylor. “I notice that you didn’t say exactly what I said.”
Jessie smiled. “I’m glad that you noticed,” she said.
“Hmmm,” said Taylor as they walked. “Hmmmm.”
When the group arrived at the Kirk barn, they saw Alex and Lucasta inside. Alex was putting vegetable seeds into peat pots. Lucasta was feeding her rabbits.
Before anybody else could speak, Lucasta came running up to Mr. Yee.
“What are you doing with Braxton?” she demanded. “Braxton is my rabbit. Give him back!”
“He cannot be your rabbit,” answered Mr. Yee. “You said your rabbits never escaped their pens. This rabbit was in my garden, eating my vegetables.”
Lucasta frowned. “Which vegetables?” she asked.
“Lettuce,” said Mr. Yee. “Braxton likes lettuce.”
“And carrots,” said Violet. “He ate a carrot.”
“A purple carrot?” asked Lucasta. “Braxton ate a purple carrot?”
“Yes,” said Mr. Yee. “Purple carrots are very nutritious.”
“Purple is my least favorite color,” said Lucasta. She looked at her rabbit. “If Braxton ate a purple carrot, I don’t want to enter him in a contest.” She looked at Mr. Yee. “You seem
to like Braxton.”
“Yes, I do,” admitted Mr. Yee.
“Well, then, you can have Braxton if you want to,” said Lucasta. “I don’t want a rabbit who eats purple carrots.”
Lucasta turned away and went back to the other rabbits.
Mr. Yee and Taylor and Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny just stood there. They couldn’t believe what they had just heard.
“That is not nice,” muttered Taylor, “giving away her rabbit like that.”
Benny looked at Mr. Yee and Braxton. “I think that Braxton will be very happy with Mr. Yee,” said Benny.
Taylor looked down at Benny. “You’re very wise for one so young,” she said.
“Thank you,” said Benny.
Alex had stopped planting seeds into peat pots. He had listened to the conversation, and he had frowned when Lucasta gave away her rabbit. Now he spoke. “If you came about the rabbit, you can go now.”
“No,” said Henry, “we came to name the garden thief and put an end to the stealing.”
“Look at this,” said Lucasta loudly, taking a Rex rabbit out of its cage and bringing it to the group. “Isn’t she lovely? Look at her gleaming fur and her bright eyes. She’s going to win grand prize.” Lucasta stroked her rabbit. “And my other rabbits will win blue ribbons and red ribbons and yellow ribbons. I’m going to win a lot of ribbons this year.”
“Be quiet, Lucasta,” said Alex.
“No,” said Lucasta. “I deserve to win the prizes because I raise the best-looking rabbits.”
“You are a thief,” said Jessie. “You’ve been stealing everyone’s best vegetables to feed your rabbits.”
“She’s the thief?” asked Taylor, quite surprised.
“I should have known,” said Mr. Yee.
“It’s Mr. Yee’s fault,” said Lucasta, pointing at him. “He made me break my leg and so I couldn’t garden this year. But I need the very best vegetables for my rabbits to win.” She glared at the group. “You should be happy that your vegetables will help my rabbits win.”
“Our vegetables belong to us,” said Taylor angrily. “They aren’t for you to take.”
“Taylor is right,” said Mr. Yee. “It is wrong to take what belongs to somebody else, something they have worked hard to grow.”
Taylor turned to the Aldens. “I thought it was Alex,” she said. “How did you figure it out?”
“We noticed that sometimes Lucasta wore a cast on her leg, and sometimes she didn’t,” explained Jessie. “And sometimes she walked fast and sometimes she walked very slow—especially when she had the green trash bag wrapped around her cast.”
“Green trash bag?” asked Taylor.
“Yes,” said Jessie. “See that apron on the wall?” She pointed toward the rabbit hutches. “It has a lot of pockets in it.”
“I see,” said Taylor, “but I still don’t get it.”
“Lucasta tied the bag around her cast. She stuffed the stolen vegetables into the pockets, then covered everything up with the green trash bag.”
Violet looked at Taylor. “You helped us figure this out.”
“I did?” said Taylor, confused.
“Yes. The day you showed us how lead weights slipped into the small pockets of your leg weights,” said Violet. “Later that day we saw the apron with the many pockets. And later still we figured out what Lucasta was doing.”
“And that’s not all,” said Violet. “The color purple helped us. It’s my favorite color,” she added softly.
“Ahh,” said Mr. Yee. “I am beginning to see what happened. The garden thief took all my orange carrots. But the thief didn’t take the purple carrots.”
“That’s right,” said Violet. “The thief hates purple.”
“Stupid purple carrots,” said Lucasta. “I would never feed them to my rabbits.”
“I will feed them to my rabbit,” said Mr. Yee, petting Braxton.
Henry spoke up. “There was one more clue,” he said, “something that puzzled us at first. Somebody was giving vegetables back to the people whose vegetables had been stolen.”
He turned to Alex. “That was you,” he said. “You were giving people vegetables from your own garden. You gave Taylor kale. You gave Roger cucumbers. You gave Mr. Yee carrots. You were trying to replace everything that had been stolen.”
Alex nodded. “You’re right,” he said. “I figured out what Lucasta was doing.” He frowned at his sister. “I told her she had to stop, that it’s wrong to steal. But she wouldn’t listen.” He looked at everybody in the group. “I’m sorry you didn’t like my vegetables,” he said.
Everybody shook their heads. “Oh, we did like your vegetables,” said Taylor. “The kale was delicious! I gave some to many different people, and they all loved it.”
“The cucumbers you gave Roger are delicious,” said Benny. “We had them for dinner and we had them for lunch.”
Alex looked happier than he had. “That’s good,” he said. “I’m glad you liked the food I gave you. That’s what food is for: to eat.”
“It is time for us to leave,” said Mr. Yee. He looked at Lucasta. “Do not steal any more vegetables from our gardens,” he told her. “If vegetables are missing, we will know it was you.”
“If vegetables are missing, we’ll go straight to your mother and father and tell them what you’re doing,” said Taylor.
Lucasta pouted. “Okay, okay. I won’t take any more of your vegetables. I was getting tired of dragging them around anyway,” she said. “But if my rabbits don’t win grand prize, it’s all your fault!” She turned and marched away, back to her rabbit hutches.
* * *
“Some people will never admit they have done wrong,” said Mr. Yee as he and the Aldens and Taylor walked back to their garden plots.
“That’s true,” said Taylor, “and that’s sad. But now,” she said, rubbing her hands together, “let’s get back to gardening! The county fair is just two weeks away.”
Taylor unlocked the gate to her garden and went inside, waving a goodbye to the children and Mr. Yee.
The children walked into Mr. Yee’s garden with him.
“Thank you so much for how you have helped me,” he told them. “I could not have continued my garden without your help.”
“We like helping you,” said Henry.
“And we’re learning a lot,” added Jessie.
“And the vegetables are delicious!” said Benny.
Mr. Yee laughed. “Well,” he said, “my cast comes off tomorrow. Would you like to keep helping me even though my arm will no longer be in a cast?”
All four Aldens eagerly agreed to help.
“Can we come with you to the county fair?” asked Henry. “We’d like to see all the vegetables we’re helping you grow.”
“Of course,” replied Mr. Yee. “We can all go together.” He looked around his garden. “I might win a prize for my purple carrots,” he said.
He looked at Violet and Jessie. “If my purple carrots win a blue ribbon, I’ll give it to you. You’re the ones who thinned and weeded and watered the carrots.”
“I want a blue ribbon, too,” Benny announced. “I want to win it for your delicious strawberries—if I don’t eat them all up in two weeks!”
About the Author
GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book, The Boxcar Children, quickly proved she had succeeded.
Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write the mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be like to set up housekeeping in a caboose or freight car — the situation the Alden children find themselves in.
When Miss Warner received requests for more adventures involving Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden, she began additional stories. In each, she chose a special setting and introduced unus
ual or eccentric characters who liked the unpredictable.
While the mystery element is central to each of Miss Warner’s books, she never thought of them as strictly juvenile mysteries. She liked to stress the Aldens’ independence and resourcefulness and their solid New England devotion to using up and making do. The Aldens go about most of their adventures with as little adult supervision as possible — something else that delights young readers.
Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in 1979. During her lifetime, she received hundreds of letters from girls and boys telling her how much they liked her books.
The Boxcar Children Mysteries
THE BOXCAR CHILDREN
SURPRISE ISLAND
THE YELLOW HOUSE MYSTERY
MYSTERY RANCH
MIKE’S MYSTERY
BLUE BAY MYSTERY
THE WOODSHED MYSTERY
THE LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERY
MOUNTAIN TOP MYSTERY
SCHOOLHOUSE MYSTERY
CABOOSE MYSTERY
HOUSEBOAT MYSTERY
SNOWBOUND MYSTERY
TREE HOUSE MYSTERY
BICYCLE MYSTERY
MYSTERY IN THE SAND
MYSTERY BEHIND THE WALL
BUS STATION MYSTERY
BENNY UNCOVERS A MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CABIN MYSTERY
THE DESERTED LIBRARY MYSTERY
THE ANIMAL SHELTER MYSTERY
THE OLD MOTEL MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN PAINTING
THE AMUSEMENT PARK MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIXED-UP ZOO
THE CAMP-OUT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY GIRL
THE MYSTERY CRUISE
THE DISAPPEARING FRIEND MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE SINGING GHOST
MYSTERY IN THE SNOW
THE PIZZA MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY HORSE
THE MYSTERY AT THE DOG SHOW
THE CASTLE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST VILLAGE
THE MYSTERY ON THE ICE
THE MYSTERY OF THE PURPLE POOL
THE GHOST SHIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN WASHINGTON, DC
THE CANOE TRIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN BEACH