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Authors: Julie Campbell
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wanted to.
“Oh, Mr. Maypenny,” Honey said, “we found a dead duck lying on the trail on the way over here.”
“You didn’t touch it, did you?” Mr. Maypenny asked sharply.
Trixie felt herself blushing, remembering how close she had come to doing just that, but Honey quickly said, “No, we didn’t. We just made a note to remember to tell you about it.”
Mr. Maypenny stood up. “I’ll get some gloves and a shovel,” he said. “Then we’ll go see about it. I hope we don’t have any out-of-season hunters hanging around here.”
Mr. Maypenny saddled Brownie, his ancient but sturdy mare, and started down the path. Brownie never went faster than a dignified walk, and Susie and Strawberry pranced impatiently behind her. Trixie and Honey spent their time controlling their horses and their desire to giggle until the little party finally arrived at the spot where the two girls had seen the duck.
“It’s gone!” Trixie exclaimed, jumping down from Susie’s back.
“Oh, Trixie, it is!” Honey said.
“Are you sure this is where you saw it?” Mr. Maypenny asked impatiently. “Maybe you just misplaced the spot, the way I did with that tree the other day.”
Trixie shook her head. “This is the spot, Mr. Maypenny. I’m sure of it.”
“I hope some animal didn’t drag it off and eat it,” Honey said. “It could be poisonous.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Mr. Maypenny said. “Animals are pretty smart about what’s good for them and what isn’t. If some animal dragged it off to eat, it probably knew what it was doing.”
Trixie had been examining the ground where the duck had been. She stood up triumphantly. “The animal that dragged that duck off was wearing waffle-stomper boots,” she said. “There are tracks all around here, and they disappear into the woods.”
“Then it must have been one of the boys,” Honey concluded, sounding relieved.
Trixie nodded. “Is Dan out patrolling today, Mr. Maypenny?” she asked.
“He’s patrolling,” the old man said, “but I don’t think he was in this part of the preserve.“
“Brian and Mart and Jim all said they had chores to do at home,” Trixie mused.
Honey laughed. “Oh, Trix, I know what you’re trying to do. You’re going to turn this into a mystery—‘The Mystery of the Missing Duck.’ There are lots of perfectly good explanations for why that duck is gone. The boys might have decided to take a break from their chores. Or they might have decided to ride through this way to get something from Mr. Lytell’s store. Or Dan might have patrolled this way after all. Let’s not turn it into a mystery yet.”
Once again Trixie blushed. Honey was her most loyal friend, and she was as interested in mysteries as Trixie was. If she thought Trixie was getting carried away, imagining a mystery where none existed, then it must be true. “We can ask our brothers about it tonight,” she said. “It probably was one of them.”
“I’ll check with Dan, too, when he comes in,” Mr. Maypenny said. “If he did take the duck, I’ll make sure he tells you about it on the bus tomorrow. I could even send him over tonight, if you think you’ll be losing sleep over this mysterious disappearance,” the gamekeeper added, his eyes twinkling.
Trixie laughed, realizing that the joke was on her and her love of mysteries. “I think I’ll be all right, Mr. Maypenny,” she said in mock seriousness.
“Then I’ll be getting back to work,” Mr. Maypenny said. “Thank you, girls, for coming to visit today. I do appreciate it.”
“We enjoyed it as much as you did,” Honey said. “We’ll see you later.”
When the girls got back to the Wheeler stable, Trixie noted that Jupiter, the horse Jim usually rode, was in his stall. “Jim isn’t out riding now,” she told Honey.
Honey rolled her eyes. “I’ll ask him about the duck when I see him, Trixie. I promise.”
“And I promise to drop the subject,” Trixie said. Suddenly she
“Oh, Mr. Maypenny,” Honey said, “we found a dead duck lying on the trail on the way over here.”
“You didn’t touch it, did you?” Mr. Maypenny asked sharply.
Trixie felt herself blushing, remembering how close she had come to doing just that, but Honey quickly said, “No, we didn’t. We just made a note to remember to tell you about it.”
Mr. Maypenny stood up. “I’ll get some gloves and a shovel,” he said. “Then we’ll go see about it. I hope we don’t have any out-of-season hunters hanging around here.”
Mr. Maypenny saddled Brownie, his ancient but sturdy mare, and started down the path. Brownie never went faster than a dignified walk, and Susie and Strawberry pranced impatiently behind her. Trixie and Honey spent their time controlling their horses and their desire to giggle until the little party finally arrived at the spot where the two girls had seen the duck.
“It’s gone!” Trixie exclaimed, jumping down from Susie’s back.
“Oh, Trixie, it is!” Honey said.
“Are you sure this is where you saw it?” Mr. Maypenny asked impatiently. “Maybe you just misplaced the spot, the way I did with that tree the other day.”
Trixie shook her head. “This is the spot, Mr. Maypenny. I’m sure of it.”
“I hope some animal didn’t drag it off and eat it,” Honey said. “It could be poisonous.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Mr. Maypenny said. “Animals are pretty smart about what’s good for them and what isn’t. If some animal dragged it off to eat, it probably knew what it was doing.”
Trixie had been examining the ground where the duck had been. She stood up triumphantly. “The animal that dragged that duck off was wearing waffle-stomper boots,” she said. “There are tracks all around here, and they disappear into the woods.”
“Then it must have been one of the boys,” Honey concluded, sounding relieved.
Trixie nodded. “Is Dan out patrolling today, Mr. Maypenny?” she asked.
“He’s patrolling,” the old man said, “but I don’t think he was in this part of the preserve.“
“Brian and Mart and Jim all said they had chores to do at home,” Trixie mused.
Honey laughed. “Oh, Trix, I know what you’re trying to do. You’re going to turn this into a mystery—‘The Mystery of the Missing Duck.’ There are lots of perfectly good explanations for why that duck is gone. The boys might have decided to take a break from their chores. Or they might have decided to ride through this way to get something from Mr. Lytell’s store. Or Dan might have patrolled this way after all. Let’s not turn it into a mystery yet.”
Once again Trixie blushed. Honey was her most loyal friend, and she was as interested in mysteries as Trixie was. If she thought Trixie was getting carried away, imagining a mystery where none existed, then it must be true. “We can ask our brothers about it tonight,” she said. “It probably was one of them.”
“I’ll check with Dan, too, when he comes in,” Mr. Maypenny said. “If he did take the duck, I’ll make sure he tells you about it on the bus tomorrow. I could even send him over tonight, if you think you’ll be losing sleep over this mysterious disappearance,” the gamekeeper added, his eyes twinkling.
Trixie laughed, realizing that the joke was on her and her love of mysteries. “I think I’ll be all right, Mr. Maypenny,” she said in mock seriousness.
“Then I’ll be getting back to work,” Mr. Maypenny said. “Thank you, girls, for coming to visit today. I do appreciate it.”
“We enjoyed it as much as you did,” Honey said. “We’ll see you later.”
When the girls got back to the Wheeler stable, Trixie noted that Jupiter, the horse Jim usually rode, was in his stall. “Jim isn’t out riding now,” she told Honey.
Honey rolled her eyes. “I’ll ask him about the duck when I see him, Trixie. I promise.”
“And I promise to drop the subject,” Trixie said. Suddenly she
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