he saw him again?”
Mrs. Brown looked at Encyclopedia proudly. She was always pleased when he solved a case before she got up to bring the main course.
“Mr. Holt said something else,” replied Chief Brown. He read again from his notebook.
“All the silver dishes were highly polished. When I was passing back the largest, a fruit bowl made by Falco of Italy, I tipped it up. By looking inside it, I saw the holdup man’s face just as though I were looking into a mirror.”
Mrs. Brown glanced worriedly at Encyclopedia.
Encyclopedia had closed his eyes. He always closed his eyes when he did his heavy thinking.
Chief Brown put his notebook into his pocket. “It’s not such a simple case after all,” he said. “I can’t be sure that Mr. Holt isn’t telling the truth.”
Encyclopedia opened his eyes. “Is his business doing well?” he asked.
“No,” said Chief Brown. “I checked with his bank. He has borrowed a lot of money to keep the store going. I think he faked the robbery. With the money he will get from selling the silver dishes out of town, he can pay back the bank.”
“You aren’t being fair,” said Mrs. Brown. “Just because Mr. Holt needs money doesn’t mean he stole Mrs. Cartwright’s silver.”
“I saw the holdup man’s face just as though I were looking into a mirror,” said Mr. Holt.
“Have you ever seen the silver bowl he used as a mirror, Dad?” asked Encyclopedia.
“Your mother and I nearly bought the bowl last month, as a matter of fact,” said Chief Brown. “It’s about eleven inches across and rounded inside like a big spoon.”
“We just loved it,” said Mrs. Brown. “But it cost too much.”
“I’m glad you didn’t buy it,” said Encyclopedia.
“Why?” asked Chief Brown.
“Because Mr. Holt needed the fruit bowl for his story,” said Encyclopedia. “He was afraid he might not get away with a simple story of a holdup man. He had to add something that showed he acted to get back Mrs. Cartwright’s silver dishes. So he put in the part about using the fruit bowl as a mirror to see the holdup man’s face.”
“I’m afraid that part doesn’t matter,” said Chief Brown. “We can’t prove that he didn’t see the holdup man’s face any more than we can prove he made up the whole story. Maybe there was a holdup man, maybe there wasn’t. We’re back where we started.”
“Not quite, Dad,” said Encyclopedia. “We know that Mr. Holt is lying! ”
WHAT MADE ENCYCLOPEDIA SURE?
(Turn to page 87 for the solution to The Case of the Silver Fruit Bowl.)
The Case of the Dwarf’s Beard
During the winter Encyclopedia solved cases in the dining room. In the summer he solved them in the garage as well.
When school let out, he opened his own detective business. He wanted to help the children of the neighborhood. Outside the garage each morning he hung a sign. It read:
One morning Gary Hale brought in a beer can. The bottom was missing.
“Look at this,” exclaimed Gary.
He poked his thumb through a hole in the side of the can.
“The hole is for air,” said Gary. “Bugs Meany made it before he stuck the can over my dwarf.”
Encyclopedia stayed calm. He tried to recall the last time anyone had stuck a beer can over a dwarf. Only Bugs Meany would do such a thing.
Bugs was the leader of a gang of tough older boys who called themselves the Tigers. They should have called themselves the Tea Bags. They were always getting into hot water.
“I want to hire you,” said Gary, putting twenty-five cents on the gasoline can beside Encyclopedia. “Somebody’s got to stop that Bugs Meany, and I’m too small.”
“I think I can handle Bugs,” said Encyclopedia. Since opening his detective agency, Encyclopedia had been hired to stop many of Bugs’s shady deals. “What are the facts?”
“Did you know about Mr. Whitten’s jelly-bean contest?” asked Gary.
“Sure. Children had to guess the number of
Mrs. Brown looked at Encyclopedia proudly. She was always pleased when he solved a case before she got up to bring the main course.
“Mr. Holt said something else,” replied Chief Brown. He read again from his notebook.
“All the silver dishes were highly polished. When I was passing back the largest, a fruit bowl made by Falco of Italy, I tipped it up. By looking inside it, I saw the holdup man’s face just as though I were looking into a mirror.”
Mrs. Brown glanced worriedly at Encyclopedia.
Encyclopedia had closed his eyes. He always closed his eyes when he did his heavy thinking.
Chief Brown put his notebook into his pocket. “It’s not such a simple case after all,” he said. “I can’t be sure that Mr. Holt isn’t telling the truth.”
Encyclopedia opened his eyes. “Is his business doing well?” he asked.
“No,” said Chief Brown. “I checked with his bank. He has borrowed a lot of money to keep the store going. I think he faked the robbery. With the money he will get from selling the silver dishes out of town, he can pay back the bank.”
“You aren’t being fair,” said Mrs. Brown. “Just because Mr. Holt needs money doesn’t mean he stole Mrs. Cartwright’s silver.”
“I saw the holdup man’s face just as though I were looking into a mirror,” said Mr. Holt.
“Have you ever seen the silver bowl he used as a mirror, Dad?” asked Encyclopedia.
“Your mother and I nearly bought the bowl last month, as a matter of fact,” said Chief Brown. “It’s about eleven inches across and rounded inside like a big spoon.”
“We just loved it,” said Mrs. Brown. “But it cost too much.”
“I’m glad you didn’t buy it,” said Encyclopedia.
“Why?” asked Chief Brown.
“Because Mr. Holt needed the fruit bowl for his story,” said Encyclopedia. “He was afraid he might not get away with a simple story of a holdup man. He had to add something that showed he acted to get back Mrs. Cartwright’s silver dishes. So he put in the part about using the fruit bowl as a mirror to see the holdup man’s face.”
“I’m afraid that part doesn’t matter,” said Chief Brown. “We can’t prove that he didn’t see the holdup man’s face any more than we can prove he made up the whole story. Maybe there was a holdup man, maybe there wasn’t. We’re back where we started.”
“Not quite, Dad,” said Encyclopedia. “We know that Mr. Holt is lying! ”
WHAT MADE ENCYCLOPEDIA SURE?
(Turn to page 87 for the solution to The Case of the Silver Fruit Bowl.)
The Case of the Dwarf’s Beard
During the winter Encyclopedia solved cases in the dining room. In the summer he solved them in the garage as well.
When school let out, he opened his own detective business. He wanted to help the children of the neighborhood. Outside the garage each morning he hung a sign. It read:
One morning Gary Hale brought in a beer can. The bottom was missing.
“Look at this,” exclaimed Gary.
He poked his thumb through a hole in the side of the can.
“The hole is for air,” said Gary. “Bugs Meany made it before he stuck the can over my dwarf.”
Encyclopedia stayed calm. He tried to recall the last time anyone had stuck a beer can over a dwarf. Only Bugs Meany would do such a thing.
Bugs was the leader of a gang of tough older boys who called themselves the Tigers. They should have called themselves the Tea Bags. They were always getting into hot water.
“I want to hire you,” said Gary, putting twenty-five cents on the gasoline can beside Encyclopedia. “Somebody’s got to stop that Bugs Meany, and I’m too small.”
“I think I can handle Bugs,” said Encyclopedia. Since opening his detective agency, Encyclopedia had been hired to stop many of Bugs’s shady deals. “What are the facts?”
“Did you know about Mr. Whitten’s jelly-bean contest?” asked Gary.
“Sure. Children had to guess the number of
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