Read Online Tree House Mystery by Gertrude Warner - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gertrude Warner
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certainly a lot of help to me,” said Uncle Max. “What should I do without you?”
Sammy said, “I guess you think we act as if the Rocking Horse Restaurant is ours. Anyway we can’t stay away.”
Jessie said, “I almost wish we weren’t going on our vacation so soon. We are leaving next week.”
“I’m sorry,” said Uncle Max. “I didn’t know you Aldens were going away so soon.”
But Sammy said, “We’ll be here, Uncle Max.”
Jeffrey added, “We’ll keep you company. We’ll come to lunch and dinner often.”
Everything was ready now. There was nothing to do but wait. At eleven o’clock no customers had come. Everyone was afraid there wouldn’t be any customers at all.
But at half-past eleven they changed their minds. They were afraid there would be too many customers! More and more people kept coming in.
Many children came. They loved the rocking horse and the story on the place mats. And they liked Uncle Max’s cooking, too. They begged their parents to bring them again.
When all the customers had gone, the Aldens and the Beaches sat down to talk over the day. What a success it had been!
John Beach said, “Of course this was your biggest day. It won’t be like this every day.”
“I hope not,” said Uncle Max. “I like to wait on the children myself. I like to hear them talk. It will be fine if the restaurant is just busy enough for me to do all the work.”
“Well, you heard them today,” said Benny. “The children certainly had a good time. They’ll be back.”
Suddenly Uncle Max began to laugh. He said, “I almost forgot. Now that we are alone, I have a surprise for everybody. Excuse me a minute.”
Uncle Max went behind the counter and came out carrying an enormous cake.
“Just look at that cake!” exclaimed Jessie. “Did you make it, Uncle Max?”
“I did,” said Uncle Max. “I wanted to say thank you to everybody.”
Max had done his best. The frosting was creamy white, decorated with pink roses and pale green leaves. In the middle of the cake was a beautiful rocking horse made of frosting.
“Oh, it’s too pretty to cut!” said Violet.
The cake was as good as it looked. It was soon cut and everyone began to eat. It was a wonderful way for Uncle Max to say thank you.
As Sammy finished his large piece, he said, “I want to tell you something, Benny.”
“Go right ahead,” said Benny. “I’m listening.”
“I want to thank you for everything,” said Sammy. “I didn’t know how to pull out a nail, and I couldn’t climb. I didn’t know how to make things, and I didn’t even know how to make friends. Now I can make friends with anybody.”
The others listened. They knew it was true.
But Benny said, “Now you listen, Sammy. Thank you for all you taught me.”
“I taught you?” cried Sammy. “I couldn’t teach you anything!”
“Oh, yes, you did, Sammy. I learned from you and Jeffrey that sometimes I ought to shut my mouth and stop talking—and think. So that’s what I’m going to do.”
“Oh, don’t, Ben!” said Jessie. “You wouldn’t be Benny any more if you didn’t talk all the time.”
“I’ll think about it anyway,” said Benny.
Everybody laughed.
Then Jeffrey said, “I’ve been thinking, too, and I think we ought to thank the Aldens for the tree house. If they hadn’t helped us build the tree house, none of this would have happened.”
“That’s right, Jeff,” said Sammy. “We would never have found the spyglass.”
“We would never have found the little round window,” added Jeffrey.
“You would never have found the rocking horse,” said Mrs. Beach.
“There wouldn’t have been a Rocking Horse Restaurant,” said Mr. Beach.
Uncle Max nodded his head. “A lot of things have been lost and found: the spyglass, the rocking horse, a whole room—and a brother.” He looked at John Beach. “Without the tree house, I don’t think I would have found my brother quite so soon. Do you, John?”
“I have to
Sammy said, “I guess you think we act as if the Rocking Horse Restaurant is ours. Anyway we can’t stay away.”
Jessie said, “I almost wish we weren’t going on our vacation so soon. We are leaving next week.”
“I’m sorry,” said Uncle Max. “I didn’t know you Aldens were going away so soon.”
But Sammy said, “We’ll be here, Uncle Max.”
Jeffrey added, “We’ll keep you company. We’ll come to lunch and dinner often.”
Everything was ready now. There was nothing to do but wait. At eleven o’clock no customers had come. Everyone was afraid there wouldn’t be any customers at all.
But at half-past eleven they changed their minds. They were afraid there would be too many customers! More and more people kept coming in.
Many children came. They loved the rocking horse and the story on the place mats. And they liked Uncle Max’s cooking, too. They begged their parents to bring them again.
When all the customers had gone, the Aldens and the Beaches sat down to talk over the day. What a success it had been!
John Beach said, “Of course this was your biggest day. It won’t be like this every day.”
“I hope not,” said Uncle Max. “I like to wait on the children myself. I like to hear them talk. It will be fine if the restaurant is just busy enough for me to do all the work.”
“Well, you heard them today,” said Benny. “The children certainly had a good time. They’ll be back.”
Suddenly Uncle Max began to laugh. He said, “I almost forgot. Now that we are alone, I have a surprise for everybody. Excuse me a minute.”
Uncle Max went behind the counter and came out carrying an enormous cake.
“Just look at that cake!” exclaimed Jessie. “Did you make it, Uncle Max?”
“I did,” said Uncle Max. “I wanted to say thank you to everybody.”
Max had done his best. The frosting was creamy white, decorated with pink roses and pale green leaves. In the middle of the cake was a beautiful rocking horse made of frosting.
“Oh, it’s too pretty to cut!” said Violet.
The cake was as good as it looked. It was soon cut and everyone began to eat. It was a wonderful way for Uncle Max to say thank you.
As Sammy finished his large piece, he said, “I want to tell you something, Benny.”
“Go right ahead,” said Benny. “I’m listening.”
“I want to thank you for everything,” said Sammy. “I didn’t know how to pull out a nail, and I couldn’t climb. I didn’t know how to make things, and I didn’t even know how to make friends. Now I can make friends with anybody.”
The others listened. They knew it was true.
But Benny said, “Now you listen, Sammy. Thank you for all you taught me.”
“I taught you?” cried Sammy. “I couldn’t teach you anything!”
“Oh, yes, you did, Sammy. I learned from you and Jeffrey that sometimes I ought to shut my mouth and stop talking—and think. So that’s what I’m going to do.”
“Oh, don’t, Ben!” said Jessie. “You wouldn’t be Benny any more if you didn’t talk all the time.”
“I’ll think about it anyway,” said Benny.
Everybody laughed.
Then Jeffrey said, “I’ve been thinking, too, and I think we ought to thank the Aldens for the tree house. If they hadn’t helped us build the tree house, none of this would have happened.”
“That’s right, Jeff,” said Sammy. “We would never have found the spyglass.”
“We would never have found the little round window,” added Jeffrey.
“You would never have found the rocking horse,” said Mrs. Beach.
“There wouldn’t have been a Rocking Horse Restaurant,” said Mr. Beach.
Uncle Max nodded his head. “A lot of things have been lost and found: the spyglass, the rocking horse, a whole room—and a brother.” He looked at John Beach. “Without the tree house, I don’t think I would have found my brother quite so soon. Do you, John?”
“I have to
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