“Yes!” Bess confirmed. “Buttons is eating our grass! Right now!”
“I wish I had time to come over,” Nancy said. “It might be early, but Dad would never let me rush over there before school.”
“George’s mom said no too,” Bess replied.
“Did you look around for clues?” Nancy asked. “Like when we found the paint on his hoof at George’s.”
“Of course,” Bess said. Nancy could imagine Bess looking the pony over, searching for something unusual. “I didn’t find anything. Mr. Johnson must have washed off that red paint mark. This morning, nothing looks suspicious.”
“Hmmm,” Nancy said, then went silent.
“Nancy?” Bess called into the phone. “Nancy? Are you still there? Talk to me. I can hear you breathing. Earth to Nancy.”
Suddenly, Nancy snapped out of it. “I’m here. Sorry. I was thinking.”
“Think later,” Bess advised. “I’d better go. Mr. Johnson just arrived to pick Buttons up. I’ll see you at school.”
All day at school, Nancy was thinking about the mystery. She paid attention in class, but between classes and at lunch, she was constantly bumping into stuff, walking into walls, and tripping on the ends of her shoes. By the time recess came, Bess and George were afraid to leave her alone. She might hurt herself.
“Oof,” Nancy said as she banged her elbow on the ladder leading up to the monkey bars.
“Okay,” Bess told Nancy. “You’d better tell us what you’re thinking, because school’s almost over and we can’t protect you forever.”
“Why are you protecting me?” Nancy asked, rubbing her sore elbow. She hadn’t noticed that Bess and George had been following her around all day.
“We have to save you from yourself!” George answered. “Your head is stuck at Johnson’s Petting Zoo.”
“That’s not such a bad place to be stuck.” Bess smiled. “It’s superfun there. Did you see the article and photographs in today’s newspaper?”
Just like Ms. Walton had said, there was a full-page article in the paper. Nancy had seen the picture of herself, Bess, and George with Stacy, Mr. Johnson, and Amanda. Next to that, there was also a smaller picture of Scott riding Buttons.
Bess grinned. “Remember yesterday when Scott was jumping off the hay pretending he was a duck? It was annoying at the time, but now it seems pretty funny.”
“Quack,” said George. “My brother can be such a spaz sometimes!”
“Maa,” said Bess. “I’m a goat!” She held two fingers like horns on her head. “Maa.”
“Quack, quack.” George responded, flapping her arms and running in circles around Bess and Nancy.
“That’s it!” Suddenly, Nancy’s eyes grew wide. “Thanks to the both of you, I think I just figured out this mystery.”
“What did we do?” George stopped quacking.
“How did we help?” Bess stopped bleating.
“What are you doing after school today?” Nancy asked Bess and George.
They didn’t have any plans, except homework.
“Good.” Nancy seemed very happy. “Do your homework right away. I’m going to ask Hannah if she’ll drive us over to the petting zoo.”
“Aren’t you going to fill us in?” Bess and George asked together.
“Later,” Nancy said as the school bell rang. It was time to go back to class. “Meet me at my house at four o’clock. When we get to the petting zoo, I’ll tell you the answer to the mystery.”
When Nancy, Bess, and George arrived at the petting zoo, Stacy was already there. She was brushing Buttons’s mane.
Amanda was there too. She was filling the water dishes in the bunny cages.
Nancy went to get Mr. Johnson. She told him she had something important to share.
“What is it?” Mr. Johnson asked. “Did you solve the mystery?”
Nancy smiled and said, “I won’t tell until everyone is together.”
They gathered inside the animal pen, under the shaded area.
“I know how Buttons is getting out,” Nancy began. “At first I thought maybe Stacy was letting him out, but then, Bess realized that Stacy couldn’t possibly get the key to the gate.”
George added, “We asked Stacy anyway. She said she didn’t do it.”
“Right!” Nancy punched the air. “But Stacy gave us a new clue.”
“I did?” Stacy asked. “I didn’t know I gave you a clue.”
“You said something really important,” Nancy told her. “You said that Shetlands are like goats.” Stacy smiled. She was glad she’d been helpful, even if she didn’t quite understand.
Nancy turned to Amanda. “We thought you might be letting Buttons out because if Buttons disappeared, you might get to move back to Hailey Town.”
“I didn’t let him out,” Amanda said. “Really. I might not like it here, but I know how much my dad loves the farm. I’d never do anything to hurt him.”
“Nancy,” George looked surprised. “If Stacy isn’t letting Buttons out and Amanda isn’t doing it either, there’s only one suspect left.”
“That’s right,” Nancy said confidently. “Mr. Johnson is letting Buttons out.”
Mr. Johnson gasped. “No, I’m not!”
Nancy hurried to explain. “You aren’t doing it on purpose.” She looked over at Stacy. “Stacy, will you please tell Mr. Johnson the number one reason why Shetlands are like goats.”
“Easy.” Stacy folded her arms across her chest. “Shetland ponies can climb!”
“Oh my gosh!” Bess exclaimed. “Buttons has been climbing over the fence.”
“Exactly,” Nancy said as she walked over to the bale of hay near the fence. “Yesterday Scott climbed on the hay pretending to be a goat.” Nancy stepped up on the bale. She swung one leg over the fence. “Stacy gave the final clue about Shetlands, and Bess and George reminded me about the first day we came to the petting zoo. There was a goat who had climbed on top of a bale of hay and was eating.”
Nancy pulled herself over the fence, catching her back foot on the top rail as she leaped to the other side. For once, she didn’t fall. She’d let her foot hit the fence rail on purpose, to prove a point.
“I get it.” George clapped her hands. “The red paint was still wet when Buttons climbed over the fence on his way to my house. Just like Nancy dragged her foot at the last minute, so did Buttons. He got paint on his hoof as he went over the fence.”
“That explains the hay outside the fence, too,” Bess added. “Buttons was kicking some of the hay over as he climbed out.”
Nancy came around the petting zoo and back in the gate. “Mr. Johnson,” she said, “I think Buttons doesn’t like hay. If you want Buttons to quit running away, all you have to do is change the kind of food you give him.” She paused, then added, “And when you put the hay in the pen for the sheep and goats at night, be sure to put it in the middle and not near the fence.”
“Thanks,” Mr. Johnson said. “You girls are good detectives.” He immediately hurried over and dragged the half-eaten bale of hay to the center of the sheep and goat pen. “Do you think Buttons can climb out if I put it here?”
Nancy turned to Stacy. Stacy would know for sure.
“That looks like a good place,” Stacy answered.
Mr. Johnson brushed a strand of loose hay from his hands, walked back under the shady area, then reached out and pulled his daughter in for a big hug. “I knew you were unhappy. I just didn’t realize how bad it was,” he told her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Amanda simply shrugged.
“Well,” Mr. Johnson said. “Now that I know, I think we should go to Hailey Town for a visit so you can see your old friends. Maybe we can go next week after school one day. Would you like that?”
Amanda nodded. “Thanks, Dad. I promise I’ll try harder to make friends, and maybe then I’ll like it better here in River Heights.”
“We’d be happy to show you around,” Bess chimed in. George and Nancy immediately invited
Amanda to hang out on Saturday night. She agreed. They also asked Stacy. Stacy said she wanted to come too.
Plans made, Bess, George, and Nancy gave each other high fives.
“Case closed,” Nancy declared.
As a thank-you for solving the mystery, Mr. Johnson invited Nancy, Bess, and George to the petting zoo the following Saturday.
Mr. Drew drove the girls there. When they arrived, the zoo was crowded. There were people in the pen feeding the goats, sheep, chickens, and bunnies. A long line went around the outside of the fence wall. Lots of kids were waiting for a chance to ride Buttons.
The second he saw the girls, Mr. Johnson came over. “That article in the newspaper really worked.” He waved his hand around the zoo. “Just look at how many people are here to see Buttons.” Mr. Johnson pointed over his shoulder to where his truck was parked. He’d changed the painted words on the outside of Buttons’s trailer. It now read: JOHNSON’S PETTING ZOO. And beneath that: COME MEET BUTTONS, THE AMAZING CLIMBING PONY!
In fact, Mr. Johnson had made a special show for Buttons to appear in. Every hour, he set out a bale of hay inside the animal pen, right next to the fence. People would gather to see Buttons climb on top of the bale and leap over the fence.
Amanda was always waiting on the other side to give Buttons a piece of apple or carrot or some of the new pony feed they’d bought. No more hay for Buttons!
After the two o’clock show, Nancy, Bess, and George rushed up to Amanda.
“Are we still on for tonight?” Nancy asked.
“A movie, then a sleepover?” Amanda looked excited. “You bet! My dad will drop me off at your house after the petting zoo closes.”
“I picked the movie,” George said proudly. “It’s about a girl and her pet pony.” She grinned. “Of course, this girl’s pony can’t climb. It talks instead.”
Everyone laughed.
“Stacy went to visit her grandparents again today,” Nancy told them. “She’ll meet us at the movie theater, then stay for the sleepover.”
“I can’t wait!” Amanda said good-bye before she hurried off to tell her dad all of their plans.
As they walked back to the car, Mr. Drew put his arm around Nancy. “I’m so proud of you.” He winked at Bess and George. “I’m proud of the Clue Crew, too.”
“We made new friends,” Bess cheered.
“And we learned about Shetland ponies,” George added.
Nancy looked over her shoulder at Amanda standing with her father. “It’s amazing how many people one escaping pony brought together,” Nancy said. Then, smiling, she added, “This mystery is all ‘buttoned’ up!”
Your own little horse … of course!
Do you wish you could have a pony of your own? Well, with the help of the Clue Crew, now you can! Nancy, George, and Bess found a way to design their own little ponies, and the best part is, you can keep them in the house!
First … saddle up these materials:
2 corks (Make sure one is bigger than the other one.)
6 toothpicks
Black, brown, or yellow yarn (You’ll need only a little bit.)
Black or brown felt (Black or brown paper is okay too!)
2 black beads or googly eyes (or a black marker)
glue (any type)
Now trot along to these instructions:
Stick one toothpick into the large end of the bigger cork. Angle the toothpick upward to form the horse’s neck.
Stick another toothpick into the small end of the bigger cork. Angle this toothpick downward to form the tail.
Give the pony legs by sticking four toothpicks in the bottom of the bigger cork. Using glue, attach strips of yarn to the pony’s neck and tail. (This yarn is going to be the pony’s mane and tail!)
Stick the large end of the smaller cork onto the pony’s toothpick neck. If you have googly eyes or beads for the pony’s eyes, you can glue them onto the smaller cork. But don’t worry if you don’t have any materials for eyes … just do what Nancy does! Take a black marker and draw some beautiful black eyes on the pony! (You can even give your pony eyelashes if you want to!)
Glue two small triangles of brown or black felt or colored paper on your pony’s head for ears. If you want to dress your pony up, you can cut small pieces of felt or paper into the shape of a saddle and glue it onto the pony’s back.
Congratulations! You have just created your own personal pony! Don’t forget to give it a name!
Jump into history!
Read all the books in the
#1 Lincoln’s Legacy
#2 Disney’s Dream
#3 Bell’s Breakthrough
#4 King’s Courage
#5 Sacagawea’s Strength
Coming Soon:
#6 Franklin’s Fame
Carolyn Keene, Pony Problems
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