Boxcar Children 12 - Houseboat Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page A
Authors: Gertrude Chandler Warner
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Jessie. “You don’t have to come. You just sit here and wait.”
The Aldens stepped on board the houseboat, leaving Watch sitting on the dock.
Mr. Rivers took down a rack that was fastened against the wall.
“Here are all the letters of the alphabet,” he said. “People who rent the boat pick out the letters and spell any name they like. You’d laugh at some of the names this boat has had. One couple named it Rock and Roll. Another named it Moon Rocket. And another tired family named it The All Inn."
Benny laughed. “It would be fun to name a boat,” he said. “It could even be a different name every day. Now the first day we could name it for Grandfather, The James H. Alden. The next day it could be The Henry James Alden, then The Jessie Alden, and so on.”
Everybody laughed. Mr. Rivers said, “I guess you’re the one in the family with grand ideas. Comical, I’d say.”
“Benny talks as if we were really going to rent your houseboat, Mr. Rivers,” said Jessie. “And it really would be fun. There are chairs on the deck and everything. I suppose you can sit here under the awning and stay out of the hot sun.”
Mr. Rivers smiled. He pointed to the flat roof of the houseboat. “Yes, and if you want to get tanned, just climb up the ladder and lie down in the sun.”
Violet said, “Just look at the pretty white curtains in the windows. They make it look like a big dollhouse.”
Mr. Alden had been looking at the houseboat, too, and now he looked at Mr. Rivers. He seemed to like what he saw. “Do you own this boat?” he asked.
“Yes, I do,” Mr. Rivers answered. “I rent this boat by the week. Everybody seems to like it. The last family went today, and they were very sorry to go. I have just cleaned it all up for the next customer. Why don’t you look around?”
“Oh, let’s look at it, Grandfather,” said Jessie.
“It’s made like a flatboat,” said Henry. He was looking down over the railing into the water. “It’s like a raft. I’m sure it can’t go very fast.”
“That’s right,” said Mr. Rivers. “In fact, it just floats down the river all by itself. If you want to land, you can use those two poles to push it ashore. Coming back up the river, you have to use the motor on the back.”
Grandfather said, “Well, this river seems to be very slow. I must say that living here would be a nice quiet rest. Of course, these grandchildren of mine are all tired out by a whole year in school. They would just love to do nothing.”
The Aldens looked at their grandfather. They knew he was joking because no Alden ever liked to do nothing.
“Let’s go inside,” said Jessie.
Benny was inside already. He sat on one of the bunk beds. “I don’t think this boat is big enough for us, Mr. Rivers,” he said. “We need five beds and there are only two.”
“There are six beds,” said Mr. Rivers, smiling.
“Where?” asked Benny. He looked all around, but he didn’t see any more bunks.
Mr. Rivers said, “A houseboat has to be small. Everything has to be shipshape. That means that things must be in perfect order or you can’t get everything in. Here are the other beds.” He pulled one down out of the wall.
“What do you know!” said Benny. “That’s pretty smart. Now I see the others. They all have curtains.”
“I suppose this is the water tank under the sink,” said Henry. He took off the cover. “You can’t drink the river water, can you?”
“No, you have to go ashore for drinking water and supplies. There are many places along the river where you can stop for water and ice and other things. You can use the river water for washing, though.”
“Let’s go, Grandfather!” said Benny.
The Aldens knew what Benny meant. He wanted to rent the houseboat and start out tomorrow. That was how the Aldens liked to do things—in a hurry.
But Mr. Alden was not in a hurry this time. He put his hand on Benny’s shoulder and said, “We’d better go slow, Benny. We have
The Aldens stepped on board the houseboat, leaving Watch sitting on the dock.
Mr. Rivers took down a rack that was fastened against the wall.
“Here are all the letters of the alphabet,” he said. “People who rent the boat pick out the letters and spell any name they like. You’d laugh at some of the names this boat has had. One couple named it Rock and Roll. Another named it Moon Rocket. And another tired family named it The All Inn."
Benny laughed. “It would be fun to name a boat,” he said. “It could even be a different name every day. Now the first day we could name it for Grandfather, The James H. Alden. The next day it could be The Henry James Alden, then The Jessie Alden, and so on.”
Everybody laughed. Mr. Rivers said, “I guess you’re the one in the family with grand ideas. Comical, I’d say.”
“Benny talks as if we were really going to rent your houseboat, Mr. Rivers,” said Jessie. “And it really would be fun. There are chairs on the deck and everything. I suppose you can sit here under the awning and stay out of the hot sun.”
Mr. Rivers smiled. He pointed to the flat roof of the houseboat. “Yes, and if you want to get tanned, just climb up the ladder and lie down in the sun.”
Violet said, “Just look at the pretty white curtains in the windows. They make it look like a big dollhouse.”
Mr. Alden had been looking at the houseboat, too, and now he looked at Mr. Rivers. He seemed to like what he saw. “Do you own this boat?” he asked.
“Yes, I do,” Mr. Rivers answered. “I rent this boat by the week. Everybody seems to like it. The last family went today, and they were very sorry to go. I have just cleaned it all up for the next customer. Why don’t you look around?”
“Oh, let’s look at it, Grandfather,” said Jessie.
“It’s made like a flatboat,” said Henry. He was looking down over the railing into the water. “It’s like a raft. I’m sure it can’t go very fast.”
“That’s right,” said Mr. Rivers. “In fact, it just floats down the river all by itself. If you want to land, you can use those two poles to push it ashore. Coming back up the river, you have to use the motor on the back.”
Grandfather said, “Well, this river seems to be very slow. I must say that living here would be a nice quiet rest. Of course, these grandchildren of mine are all tired out by a whole year in school. They would just love to do nothing.”
The Aldens looked at their grandfather. They knew he was joking because no Alden ever liked to do nothing.
“Let’s go inside,” said Jessie.
Benny was inside already. He sat on one of the bunk beds. “I don’t think this boat is big enough for us, Mr. Rivers,” he said. “We need five beds and there are only two.”
“There are six beds,” said Mr. Rivers, smiling.
“Where?” asked Benny. He looked all around, but he didn’t see any more bunks.
Mr. Rivers said, “A houseboat has to be small. Everything has to be shipshape. That means that things must be in perfect order or you can’t get everything in. Here are the other beds.” He pulled one down out of the wall.
“What do you know!” said Benny. “That’s pretty smart. Now I see the others. They all have curtains.”
“I suppose this is the water tank under the sink,” said Henry. He took off the cover. “You can’t drink the river water, can you?”
“No, you have to go ashore for drinking water and supplies. There are many places along the river where you can stop for water and ice and other things. You can use the river water for washing, though.”
“Let’s go, Grandfather!” said Benny.
The Aldens knew what Benny meant. He wanted to rent the houseboat and start out tomorrow. That was how the Aldens liked to do things—in a hurry.
But Mr. Alden was not in a hurry this time. He put his hand on Benny’s shoulder and said, “We’d better go slow, Benny. We have
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