CHAPTER 1
Grandfather’s Surprise
H enry shut down the lawn mower and suddenly everything was very quiet in Grandfather’s front yard. It was so hot that the birds were not chirping. Henry looked up at the blazing sun. He wiped his brow. Then he looked around the yard. Something was missing.
“Benny!” Henry called out to his little brother. “Where are you?”
Just then, ten-year-old Violet came out onto the front porch.
“Have you seen Benny?” Henry asked. “No, I haven’t,” Violet said. “I thought he was helping you to cut the lawn.”
Only six years old, Benny was the youngest of the four Alden children. Henry, Violet, and their sister Jessie took very good care of their little brother. The Aldens were orphans. When their parents died, they ran away from home and lived for a while in an abandoned boxcar in the woods. Their grandfather found them and brought them to live with him in his big house in Greenfield.
The screen door opened and twelve-year-old Jessie stepped outside. She was carrying a pitcher of lemonade and a plate of cookies.
“Benny is missing,” Violet said.
Jessie looked around the yard. For a minute, she was concerned. Then she smiled. She saw something that Henry and Violet had not seen. “Watch this,” Jessie said to Violet.
Jessie leaned over the porch rail. “Who wants chocolate chip cookies and lemonade?” she shouted.
Henry, Jessie, and Violet soon saw two little white sneakers dangling from within the tree on Grandfather’s front lawn.
“I do!” came a small voice from behind the leaves. “But I can’t get down!”
Henry rushed to the tree and caught Benny just as his brother slid from the bottom branch.
“Thanks, Henry!” Benny rushed straight to the porch. “Are there any cookies left? I’m starved!”
Benny was small, but he was famous for his big appetite.
“What were you doing in the tree?” Henry asked. “I thought you were raking up the grass for me.”
“I’m sorry, Henry,” Benny said. His shoulders slumped. “It’s just that it is so hot. I was melting. The tree looked like the coolest place to be. But I was sweating even in the tree. It is hot everywhere!”
Mrs. McGregor, the Aldens’ housekeeper, appeared in the doorway. “Benny Alden!” she cried. “Look at all that dirt on your clothes! What happened? Are you okay?”
Benny looked down at his shirt. He tried to brush the dirt off. “I climbed the tree, Mrs. McGregor! I’m tall enough to reach the bottom branch!”
Mrs. McGregor smiled. “I hope you are tall enough to reach the sink. You need to wash up before you have any cookies.”
“I’ll take him inside,” Henry said. “I need to wash up, too.”
“Be quick,” Mrs. McGregor said. “I was just coming out to tell you that your grandfather called. He will be home soon and he has some exciting news for you children.”
Henry and Benny cleaned up and quickly joined their sisters on the front porch.
Jessie took a long drink of lemonade. She was wearing a light summer dress and fanning herself with a magazine. “What do you think the news could be?” she asked.
Violet patted her face with a cool cloth. Her cheeks were bright red from the heat. Even the purple ribbon in her hair seemed to droop. Purple was Violet’s favorite color. “I don’t know, Jessie. But I can’t wait to find out!”
“We’ll soon know,” Henry said. “Here comes Grandfather now.”
A big car drove up the long driveway. Grandfather waved at the children.
“Grandfather!” Benny jumped up. “What is the exciting news? Did you bring ice cream?”
Grandfather laughed. “That would have been a good idea, Benny, but I do not have ice cream. I wanted to tell you that I have to go out of town for a business meeting. Would you like to come with me?”
“We’d be happy to come, Grandfather,” Jessie said. “Where is the meeting?”
“It is in a town called Oceanside in New Jersey. I have an old friend who recently moved to
Grandfather’s Surprise
H enry shut down the lawn mower and suddenly everything was very quiet in Grandfather’s front yard. It was so hot that the birds were not chirping. Henry looked up at the blazing sun. He wiped his brow. Then he looked around the yard. Something was missing.
“Benny!” Henry called out to his little brother. “Where are you?”
Just then, ten-year-old Violet came out onto the front porch.
“Have you seen Benny?” Henry asked. “No, I haven’t,” Violet said. “I thought he was helping you to cut the lawn.”
Only six years old, Benny was the youngest of the four Alden children. Henry, Violet, and their sister Jessie took very good care of their little brother. The Aldens were orphans. When their parents died, they ran away from home and lived for a while in an abandoned boxcar in the woods. Their grandfather found them and brought them to live with him in his big house in Greenfield.
The screen door opened and twelve-year-old Jessie stepped outside. She was carrying a pitcher of lemonade and a plate of cookies.
“Benny is missing,” Violet said.
Jessie looked around the yard. For a minute, she was concerned. Then she smiled. She saw something that Henry and Violet had not seen. “Watch this,” Jessie said to Violet.
Jessie leaned over the porch rail. “Who wants chocolate chip cookies and lemonade?” she shouted.
Henry, Jessie, and Violet soon saw two little white sneakers dangling from within the tree on Grandfather’s front lawn.
“I do!” came a small voice from behind the leaves. “But I can’t get down!”
Henry rushed to the tree and caught Benny just as his brother slid from the bottom branch.
“Thanks, Henry!” Benny rushed straight to the porch. “Are there any cookies left? I’m starved!”
Benny was small, but he was famous for his big appetite.
“What were you doing in the tree?” Henry asked. “I thought you were raking up the grass for me.”
“I’m sorry, Henry,” Benny said. His shoulders slumped. “It’s just that it is so hot. I was melting. The tree looked like the coolest place to be. But I was sweating even in the tree. It is hot everywhere!”
Mrs. McGregor, the Aldens’ housekeeper, appeared in the doorway. “Benny Alden!” she cried. “Look at all that dirt on your clothes! What happened? Are you okay?”
Benny looked down at his shirt. He tried to brush the dirt off. “I climbed the tree, Mrs. McGregor! I’m tall enough to reach the bottom branch!”
Mrs. McGregor smiled. “I hope you are tall enough to reach the sink. You need to wash up before you have any cookies.”
“I’ll take him inside,” Henry said. “I need to wash up, too.”
“Be quick,” Mrs. McGregor said. “I was just coming out to tell you that your grandfather called. He will be home soon and he has some exciting news for you children.”
Henry and Benny cleaned up and quickly joined their sisters on the front porch.
Jessie took a long drink of lemonade. She was wearing a light summer dress and fanning herself with a magazine. “What do you think the news could be?” she asked.
Violet patted her face with a cool cloth. Her cheeks were bright red from the heat. Even the purple ribbon in her hair seemed to droop. Purple was Violet’s favorite color. “I don’t know, Jessie. But I can’t wait to find out!”
“We’ll soon know,” Henry said. “Here comes Grandfather now.”
A big car drove up the long driveway. Grandfather waved at the children.
“Grandfather!” Benny jumped up. “What is the exciting news? Did you bring ice cream?”
Grandfather laughed. “That would have been a good idea, Benny, but I do not have ice cream. I wanted to tell you that I have to go out of town for a business meeting. Would you like to come with me?”
“We’d be happy to come, Grandfather,” Jessie said. “Where is the meeting?”
“It is in a town called Oceanside in New Jersey. I have an old friend who recently moved to
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