Mystery in the Fortune Cookie by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Authors: Gertrude Chandler Warner
Ads: Link
CHAPTER 1
The Underground
“Hurry, Jessie!” cried six-year-old Benny. “There won’t be any fortune cookies left if we don’t hurry.” The youngest Alden was bouncing up and down with excitement on Aunt Jane’s couch.
Twelve-year-old Jessie looked up from the gift she was wrapping. “Oh, Benny,” she said, smiling over at her little brother. “The Kowloon Restaurant never runs out of fortune cookies.”
The Alden children — Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny — were staying with their Aunt Jane for a week to keep her company while Uncle Andy was away on business. The Aldens were looking forward to a special Chinese dinner that night in downtown Elmford. They were going to the Kowloon Restaurant with Aunt Jane and her friends Dottie and Martin. The dinner was a celebration of Dottie’s birthday. The Kowloon Restaurant was Dottie’s favorite place to eat.
Jessie was wearing her best honey-colored dress. Violet had changed into her frilly lavender skirt and a white shirt. Henry wore a navy blazer and light blue trousers. And Benny had on a silver-gray blazer over his favorite red shirt and charcoal trousers.
“I hope Dottie likes our gift,” said ten-year-old Violet, clasping her hands.
“I’m sure she’ll like it,” Henry assured her. “It’s the perfect present for Dottie.” At fourteen, Henry was the oldest of the Aldens.
Jessie nodded. “A framed picture of The Underground really is just the right gift for Dottie.” The Underground was the name of the bookstore that Dottie Shallum owned with her business partner, Martin Howard. Dottie and Martin shared a fondness for old and rare books. The Underground sold lots of them.
Jessie glanced admiringly at her younger sister, who had taken the picture. “You’re a wonderful photographer, Violet.”
“Thanks, Jessie.” Violet smiled gratefully. “I think I am getting better at taking pictures. But I still have a lot to learn,” she added modestly. Photography was one of Violet’s hobbies. She often took her camera along when the Aldens went on vacation.
Jessie added one last pink bow to their gift. “Aunt Jane chose just the right frame for it, too. The dark wood matches the bookshelves in The Underground.”
Aunt Jane smiled broadly at her nieces and nephews as she came down the stairs. She was wearing a pale blue dress and matching shoes. “Are we ready to get this show on the road?” she asked.
Without a moment’s pause, the four children cried, “Ready!”
The Aldens piled into Aunt Jane’s car and fastened their seat belts. Soon they were driving through the peaceful countryside toward the small town of Elmford. In almost no time at all, they were pulling into the parking lot near Main Street.
When Benny jumped out of the car, he was still thinking about fortune cookies. “I can’t wait to see what my fortune will say!” He sounded excited. “I like opening fortune cookies almost as much as I like eating them!”
Benny loved fortune cookies. Each crunchy, bow-shaped cookie had a fortune hidden inside, neatly typed on little white slips of paper. Benny kept a whole collection of the fortunes in an old sock. He’d even brought the collection with him to Aunt Jane’s.
“I bet my fortune says a mystery’s coming our way!” Benny went on.
“Oh, Benny,” said Jessie, shaking her head and laughing. “Mysteries are always coming our way.”
The Alden children loved mysteries. Together they’d managed to solve quite a few.
“Fortune cookies can’t really tell you anything about the future, Benny. They’re just for fun.” Henry sounded very sure.
Benny turned to his older brother in surprise. “But some of the fortunes in my collection came true,” he protested as they walked along the sidewalk. “Once I got one that said: A busy week is coming your way . And guess what. We really did have a busy week!”
“But — ” began Henry.
“And you know what else?” Benny cut in, his eyes wide.
“What?”
The Underground
“Hurry, Jessie!” cried six-year-old Benny. “There won’t be any fortune cookies left if we don’t hurry.” The youngest Alden was bouncing up and down with excitement on Aunt Jane’s couch.
Twelve-year-old Jessie looked up from the gift she was wrapping. “Oh, Benny,” she said, smiling over at her little brother. “The Kowloon Restaurant never runs out of fortune cookies.”
The Alden children — Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny — were staying with their Aunt Jane for a week to keep her company while Uncle Andy was away on business. The Aldens were looking forward to a special Chinese dinner that night in downtown Elmford. They were going to the Kowloon Restaurant with Aunt Jane and her friends Dottie and Martin. The dinner was a celebration of Dottie’s birthday. The Kowloon Restaurant was Dottie’s favorite place to eat.
Jessie was wearing her best honey-colored dress. Violet had changed into her frilly lavender skirt and a white shirt. Henry wore a navy blazer and light blue trousers. And Benny had on a silver-gray blazer over his favorite red shirt and charcoal trousers.
“I hope Dottie likes our gift,” said ten-year-old Violet, clasping her hands.
“I’m sure she’ll like it,” Henry assured her. “It’s the perfect present for Dottie.” At fourteen, Henry was the oldest of the Aldens.
Jessie nodded. “A framed picture of The Underground really is just the right gift for Dottie.” The Underground was the name of the bookstore that Dottie Shallum owned with her business partner, Martin Howard. Dottie and Martin shared a fondness for old and rare books. The Underground sold lots of them.
Jessie glanced admiringly at her younger sister, who had taken the picture. “You’re a wonderful photographer, Violet.”
“Thanks, Jessie.” Violet smiled gratefully. “I think I am getting better at taking pictures. But I still have a lot to learn,” she added modestly. Photography was one of Violet’s hobbies. She often took her camera along when the Aldens went on vacation.
Jessie added one last pink bow to their gift. “Aunt Jane chose just the right frame for it, too. The dark wood matches the bookshelves in The Underground.”
Aunt Jane smiled broadly at her nieces and nephews as she came down the stairs. She was wearing a pale blue dress and matching shoes. “Are we ready to get this show on the road?” she asked.
Without a moment’s pause, the four children cried, “Ready!”
The Aldens piled into Aunt Jane’s car and fastened their seat belts. Soon they were driving through the peaceful countryside toward the small town of Elmford. In almost no time at all, they were pulling into the parking lot near Main Street.
When Benny jumped out of the car, he was still thinking about fortune cookies. “I can’t wait to see what my fortune will say!” He sounded excited. “I like opening fortune cookies almost as much as I like eating them!”
Benny loved fortune cookies. Each crunchy, bow-shaped cookie had a fortune hidden inside, neatly typed on little white slips of paper. Benny kept a whole collection of the fortunes in an old sock. He’d even brought the collection with him to Aunt Jane’s.
“I bet my fortune says a mystery’s coming our way!” Benny went on.
“Oh, Benny,” said Jessie, shaking her head and laughing. “Mysteries are always coming our way.”
The Alden children loved mysteries. Together they’d managed to solve quite a few.
“Fortune cookies can’t really tell you anything about the future, Benny. They’re just for fun.” Henry sounded very sure.
Benny turned to his older brother in surprise. “But some of the fortunes in my collection came true,” he protested as they walked along the sidewalk. “Once I got one that said: A busy week is coming your way . And guess what. We really did have a busy week!”
“But — ” began Henry.
“And you know what else?” Benny cut in, his eyes wide.
“What?”
Similar Books
