Creature in Ogopogo Lake by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page A

uneasy. “What exactly does it look like?”
    Grandfather seemed puzzled, but only for a moment. “Oh, you mean Ogopogo. Well, it’s supposed to be a long, snakelike creature with a head like a sheep. Some people say it’s a plesiosaur.”
    Benny made a face. “A what ?”
    “A plesiosaur,” said Grandfather. “A creature left over from the dinosaur era, Benny. It was thought to be extinct for more than one million years.”
    “Has Abby ever seen the leftover dinosaur?” Violet asked.
    “Not that I know of,” answered Grandfather. Then he chuckled. “Back when we were kids, we thought we’d spotted Ogopogo swimming in the lake. Turned out to be logs floating in the water.”
    “Ogopogo is a funny name for a monster,” Jessie noted.
    Henry nodded. “Not exactly a scary name, that’s for sure.”
    “Ogopogo is supposed to be quite harmless,” Grandfather informed them. “If there is a monster in the lake, it seems to keep pretty much to itself.”
    Benny looked relieved to hear this.
    “I bet Ogopogo doesn’t like being around strangers,” guessed Violet. She was shy, and meeting new people often made her nervous.
    As Grandfather slowed to a stop beside a fruit and vegetable market, Benny clapped his hands. “You read my mind, Grandfather!” he chirped. “I was just getting hungry.”
    “Benny, you’re always hungry!” Henry teased. The youngest Alden was known for his appetite. They all got out and stretched their legs.
    “I thought we’d stock up for the week,” said Grandfather as they went inside. “The Okanagan Valley is famous for its fruit.”
    In no time at all, they were all busy filling their baskets. Jessie was checking out the cherries when she heard someone talking on a cell phone nearby.
    “Of course, I’ll do whatever it takes!” a woman was saying, sounding annoyed. “Look, I need this sale. I won’t come in second. Not again. Not this year!”

    Jessie didn’t mean to eavesdrop. But from where she was standing, it was impossible not to overhear.
    “I know how to handle Abby.” The woman was talking loudly now. “I’ll get that rundown resort sold, if it’s the last thing I do!” With that, the woman pocketed her cell phone and hurried away.
    Violet couldn’t help wondering if she’d heard right. Was that smartly dressed woman with the dangly earrings talking about Abby Harmon ?

CHAPTER 2
Hidden Treasure
    After making another stop for groceries, the Aldens were soon heading into Peachland. Everywhere they looked, tourists were strolling along the sidewalks and in and out of the shops and restaurants beside the sparkling blue lake.
    “The resort’s just up ahead,” Grandfather told the children. “Keep your eyes peeled, everybody. If I remember right, there should be a sign hanging from a tree out front.”
    It wasn’t long before sharp-eyed Benny cried out, “There it is!” He pointed to a huge pine tree where three signs were hanging, hooked together, one on top of the other—OGOPOGO RESORT, CABINS FOR RENT, and OGOPOGO GIFT SHOP.
    “Way to go, Benny!” said Jessie, as they turned into the gravel driveway. “Those signs aren’t easy to spot from the road. The paint’s all faded and peeling.”
    At the end of the driveway, Grandfather parked the car beside the long grass. Everyone piled out. Benny looked over at the line of cabins nestled among the pines.
    “One, two, three, four, five, six,” he counted. “Which cabin does Abby live in?”
    “Abby lives over there.” Grandfather nodded in the direction of a small building where a mustard-colored bench stood beneath a large plate-glass window. The sign above the door read: OGOPOGO GIFT SHOP.
    Benny raised his eyebrows. “Abby lives in a store ?”
    “She has a small place in the back of the shop, Benny,” Grandfather explained, as he led the way across a lawn covered with dandelions. “Let’s go say hello.”
    As they stepped inside, a bell jingled above the door. A woman looked over as she