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Authors: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
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was … it was just … to make sure somebody called me if they found my bottle,” Caroline said in a voice scarcely above a whisper.
Coach Malloy glared at all the kids in turn, as though ready to blame the lot of them.
“A woman found the bottle along the river just below Hall,” the trooper said. “She called the state police from there.”
Hall? Caroline thought in dismay. That little place north of Buckman? That's as far as it got?
“But why on earth would you write such a thing?” Mrs. Malloy asked incredulously. “You said it wasn't a joke, and it was a joke! Caroline, how could you do this?”
Caroline was crying now, really crying. She tried to imagine herself in a courtroom, facing a stern judge— how she would drop to her knees with her arms folded over her chest and throw herself on the mercy of the court. But the tears that were rolling down her cheeks now were real, because she realized that her parents were furious with her.
“Eddie!” boomed their father. “Do you know anything about this note?”
“I didn't know she was going to write a goofball letter like that! We were just going to write a little message about how important it was that somebody call us before the end of the month. We weren't supposed to write the script for a play!” Eddie said.
“Then why did you make up such a story?” Mrs. Malloy asked Caroline.
“I—I was afraid that if I d-didn't make it sound important, someone might find my b-bottle and not call,” Caroline explained in a near whisper.
“And by that silly action you have wasted the time of a state trooper and the Buckman police department,” said Coach Malloy.
“Not to mention the embarrassment this has caused our family!” said Caroline's mother.
“Were you boys in on this bottle race too?” Coach Malloy thundered, turning to the Hatfords.
“Yes, but—” Josh began.
“This isn't the first time we've been called over here either,” said Sergeant Bogdan, “and it's always about something these kids have cooked up together.”
“What do you think, Sergeant?” asked Coach Malloy. “What would be a proper punishment for Caroline? And I think all these kids should be included—the boys, too.”
“What?” cried Wally.
“That's not for me to say,” said Sergeant Bogdan.
But Beth was astonished. “Us?” she cried. “What did we do?”
“Since we've moved to Buckman, the authorities have been called out because Wally was trapped in the garage with a cougar, because a girl was missing after being lured over here to see an abaguchie, because you kids were playing around the river, because of a note in a bottle …. What am I missing? I'm sure there were others. You've taken up the valuable time of the police or fire department one too many times, all of you.” Coach Malloy turned toward the policemen. “I'd like to volunteer these kids to do some work down at the police station, whatever you've got. And I'm sure that when I tell Tom Hatford what's happened now, he'll agree with me.”
“You mean … like … jail ?” Caroline gasped,imagining herself in an orange prison jumpsuit with a number stamped on the back.
“He probably means cleaning toilets !” Wally proclaimed.
“Caroline, you knucklehead!” said Beth. “I don't want to clean toilets!”
“What time do you want them to show up for duty, Sergeant?” said Coach Malloy.
“Dad!” cried Eddie. “I've got baseball practice!”
“So do I!” said Jake. “It's not fair!”
#x201C;I didn't mean for this to happen,” Caroline sobbed. “I didn't mean to get the other kids in trouble.”
“Of course not! Not any more than falling in the river,” her mother said.
Caroline looked desperately around the group, searching for a friendly face. “I throw myself on the mercy of the court,” she said in a pitiful little voice.
“Go throw yourself in the river!” Jake muttered.
“She tried that already and it didn't work,” Wally muttered back.
“Whenever
Coach Malloy glared at all the kids in turn, as though ready to blame the lot of them.
“A woman found the bottle along the river just below Hall,” the trooper said. “She called the state police from there.”
Hall? Caroline thought in dismay. That little place north of Buckman? That's as far as it got?
“But why on earth would you write such a thing?” Mrs. Malloy asked incredulously. “You said it wasn't a joke, and it was a joke! Caroline, how could you do this?”
Caroline was crying now, really crying. She tried to imagine herself in a courtroom, facing a stern judge— how she would drop to her knees with her arms folded over her chest and throw herself on the mercy of the court. But the tears that were rolling down her cheeks now were real, because she realized that her parents were furious with her.
“Eddie!” boomed their father. “Do you know anything about this note?”
“I didn't know she was going to write a goofball letter like that! We were just going to write a little message about how important it was that somebody call us before the end of the month. We weren't supposed to write the script for a play!” Eddie said.
“Then why did you make up such a story?” Mrs. Malloy asked Caroline.
“I—I was afraid that if I d-didn't make it sound important, someone might find my b-bottle and not call,” Caroline explained in a near whisper.
“And by that silly action you have wasted the time of a state trooper and the Buckman police department,” said Coach Malloy.
“Not to mention the embarrassment this has caused our family!” said Caroline's mother.
“Were you boys in on this bottle race too?” Coach Malloy thundered, turning to the Hatfords.
“Yes, but—” Josh began.
“This isn't the first time we've been called over here either,” said Sergeant Bogdan, “and it's always about something these kids have cooked up together.”
“What do you think, Sergeant?” asked Coach Malloy. “What would be a proper punishment for Caroline? And I think all these kids should be included—the boys, too.”
“What?” cried Wally.
“That's not for me to say,” said Sergeant Bogdan.
But Beth was astonished. “Us?” she cried. “What did we do?”
“Since we've moved to Buckman, the authorities have been called out because Wally was trapped in the garage with a cougar, because a girl was missing after being lured over here to see an abaguchie, because you kids were playing around the river, because of a note in a bottle …. What am I missing? I'm sure there were others. You've taken up the valuable time of the police or fire department one too many times, all of you.” Coach Malloy turned toward the policemen. “I'd like to volunteer these kids to do some work down at the police station, whatever you've got. And I'm sure that when I tell Tom Hatford what's happened now, he'll agree with me.”
“You mean … like … jail ?” Caroline gasped,imagining herself in an orange prison jumpsuit with a number stamped on the back.
“He probably means cleaning toilets !” Wally proclaimed.
“Caroline, you knucklehead!” said Beth. “I don't want to clean toilets!”
“What time do you want them to show up for duty, Sergeant?” said Coach Malloy.
“Dad!” cried Eddie. “I've got baseball practice!”
“So do I!” said Jake. “It's not fair!”
#x201C;I didn't mean for this to happen,” Caroline sobbed. “I didn't mean to get the other kids in trouble.”
“Of course not! Not any more than falling in the river,” her mother said.
Caroline looked desperately around the group, searching for a friendly face. “I throw myself on the mercy of the court,” she said in a pitiful little voice.
“Go throw yourself in the river!” Jake muttered.
“She tried that already and it didn't work,” Wally muttered back.
“Whenever
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