Read Online Poison Frog Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gertrude Chandler Warner
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for the mystery man to believe everything was going normally.
After Brian disappeared, the park fell silent. A few crickets chirped in the tall grass bordering Gallagher’s Pond, and some peepers trilled in the low bushes. The moon burned bright in the cloudless sky, casting everything in a soothing white glow. The air was cool and still.
After the first hour passed, everyone began to get a little worried.
“I wonder if we scared him off,” Jessie whispered. “I wonder if he knew somehow.”
“Anything’s possible,” Grandfather answered. “Whoever this man is, he’s been pretty clever so far.”
“I say we wait another hour, at the most,” Lindsey told them.
“I agree,” Grandfather replied.
As it turned out, the guest of honor showed up about fifteen minutes later.
He left a smaller trail and walked out onto the main path. He was a large person, dressed in a dark overcoat and a dark hat. He kept his collar turned up and his head low, making it impossible to see his face. He looked around cautiously, which wasn’t surprising. The Aldens also wore dark clothes, and they’d made a wise decision—the mystery man looked directly at them but didn’t see them. Once he seemed sure he was alone, he headed for the big rock under the fir tree.
“Okay, let’s go,” Grandfather Alden said in a whisper. “And remember— quietly .”
The Alden party filed out of the woods with their grandfather a good ten steps in the lead. The mystery man was already at the big rock, reaching behind it to claim his latest prize. By the time he brought the bag out and realized it contained nothing but water, Grandfather Alden was already behind him.
“What in the world—?”
“Hold it right there, my friend,” Grandfather said firmly. The rest of his team gathered around. “Sorry, but I’m afraid this little game of yours is over.”
The man remained frozen for a moment. Then his shoulders sagged and his head drooped. He turned to face the people who had captured him. As he did, his identity was finally revealed.
Violet gasped. Benny’s eyes grew enormous. Jessie’s hands went to her mouth.
And Lindsey said in a truly disappointed voice, “Oh, Mr. Colby, how could you?”
Back at the Alden home the following evening, Grandfather held a huge celebration dinner. Jordan and Lindsey came, and so did Brian, who wanted to apologize to Jordan in person.
After dinner, Jordan took Brian home, and Danny Fischer, a reporter from the local newspaper, arrived. A short, strongly built, enthusiastic young man, Danny wanted to cover the story of the zoo thefts for the local paper. As soon as he walked into the living room, Benny jumped up. Benny remembered him from the food court a few days ago. Now that the mystery was over, the young reporter was eager to gather the exciting details of this intriguing chapter in town history.
“I know you,” Benny said. “You’re the man with the bright shirts! You were taking notes at the zoo!”
“Right you are,” said Danny with a laugh, and he introduced himself to the Aldens.
He sat on the living room couch with his notepad. Lindsey was next to him, the children spread out on the floor. Watch, as always, snoozed peacefully nearby. Grandfather sat in his easy chair with his eyes closed, feet up, and his hands folded across his chest.
“So Darren Colby was going to do what with the animals?” Danny asked, his pen at the ready.
“He was going to have them returned to the wild,” Jessie said. “Which, according to Lindsey, isn’t the worst thing that could have happened to them.”
Lindsey nodded. “We all thought he was going to sell them. That would have been truly terrible.”
“He said he didn’t want to hurt them,” Benny pointed out.
The reporter shook his head. “It doesn’t sound like he did.”
Lindsey said, “No, Mr. Colby did some bad things, but he didn’t try to hurt any of the animals. Thank goodness he wasn’t that kind of a person.”
“And
After Brian disappeared, the park fell silent. A few crickets chirped in the tall grass bordering Gallagher’s Pond, and some peepers trilled in the low bushes. The moon burned bright in the cloudless sky, casting everything in a soothing white glow. The air was cool and still.
After the first hour passed, everyone began to get a little worried.
“I wonder if we scared him off,” Jessie whispered. “I wonder if he knew somehow.”
“Anything’s possible,” Grandfather answered. “Whoever this man is, he’s been pretty clever so far.”
“I say we wait another hour, at the most,” Lindsey told them.
“I agree,” Grandfather replied.
As it turned out, the guest of honor showed up about fifteen minutes later.
He left a smaller trail and walked out onto the main path. He was a large person, dressed in a dark overcoat and a dark hat. He kept his collar turned up and his head low, making it impossible to see his face. He looked around cautiously, which wasn’t surprising. The Aldens also wore dark clothes, and they’d made a wise decision—the mystery man looked directly at them but didn’t see them. Once he seemed sure he was alone, he headed for the big rock under the fir tree.
“Okay, let’s go,” Grandfather Alden said in a whisper. “And remember— quietly .”
The Alden party filed out of the woods with their grandfather a good ten steps in the lead. The mystery man was already at the big rock, reaching behind it to claim his latest prize. By the time he brought the bag out and realized it contained nothing but water, Grandfather Alden was already behind him.
“What in the world—?”
“Hold it right there, my friend,” Grandfather said firmly. The rest of his team gathered around. “Sorry, but I’m afraid this little game of yours is over.”
The man remained frozen for a moment. Then his shoulders sagged and his head drooped. He turned to face the people who had captured him. As he did, his identity was finally revealed.
Violet gasped. Benny’s eyes grew enormous. Jessie’s hands went to her mouth.
And Lindsey said in a truly disappointed voice, “Oh, Mr. Colby, how could you?”
Back at the Alden home the following evening, Grandfather held a huge celebration dinner. Jordan and Lindsey came, and so did Brian, who wanted to apologize to Jordan in person.
After dinner, Jordan took Brian home, and Danny Fischer, a reporter from the local newspaper, arrived. A short, strongly built, enthusiastic young man, Danny wanted to cover the story of the zoo thefts for the local paper. As soon as he walked into the living room, Benny jumped up. Benny remembered him from the food court a few days ago. Now that the mystery was over, the young reporter was eager to gather the exciting details of this intriguing chapter in town history.
“I know you,” Benny said. “You’re the man with the bright shirts! You were taking notes at the zoo!”
“Right you are,” said Danny with a laugh, and he introduced himself to the Aldens.
He sat on the living room couch with his notepad. Lindsey was next to him, the children spread out on the floor. Watch, as always, snoozed peacefully nearby. Grandfather sat in his easy chair with his eyes closed, feet up, and his hands folded across his chest.
“So Darren Colby was going to do what with the animals?” Danny asked, his pen at the ready.
“He was going to have them returned to the wild,” Jessie said. “Which, according to Lindsey, isn’t the worst thing that could have happened to them.”
Lindsey nodded. “We all thought he was going to sell them. That would have been truly terrible.”
“He said he didn’t want to hurt them,” Benny pointed out.
The reporter shook his head. “It doesn’t sound like he did.”
Lindsey said, “No, Mr. Colby did some bad things, but he didn’t try to hurt any of the animals. Thank goodness he wasn’t that kind of a person.”
“And
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