CHAPTER 1
Sea and Sand
J essie Alden stood at the door. “Oh, what a beautiful morning!” she said on that hot July day.
“You can say that again, Jessie,” added Benny Alden. He looked out at the blue ocean and white sand. There was not a cloud in the sky.
Violet and Henry came to the door and looked out, too. The sea gulls were sailing around a fishing boat, making a great noise.
“This is the funniest thing,” said Benny. “Here we are at Aunt Jane and Uncle Andy’s new trailer at the beach. A day or so ago we were at home without the least idea of going anywhere at all.”
Benny called it a trailer, but it really was a mobile home. The outside was painted Aunt Jane’s favorite color, blue, with white trim. Inside there was one bedroom for the two girls. Benny and his brother Henry had a double couch in the living room.
Best of all, the trailer was right on the beach. Behind it was a great space of beach grass. But in front, the Aldens could step down two steps right into the sand.
“Let’s eat breakfast on the sand, Jessie,” suggested Violet. “It won’t be much work if we all carry our own dishes.”
“I’m more than willing to carry mine,” Benny said. “I’ll carry them all if we can eat right away.”
Henry laughed. Benny was always hungry—at home, on a trip, in the mountains, at the beach. Benny didn’t change.
“Come on, Ben,” Henry said. “You and I will fold up this bed into a couch.”
“OK,” said Benny. “Then our bedroom will look like a living room. Magic!”
In the tiny kitchen, the two girls worked fast, for they were hungry, too.
“Aunt Jane left the things we like best,” said Jessie. “I’ll cook the bacon and eggs, Violet, and you make the toast.”
There were four trays. One was red, one was blue, one was green, and the last was violet. There was no doubt about the tray each of the Aldens would take. Jessie took the blue one, Benny took the red.
“The food is the same on every tray,” Violet said. “It makes no difference what color tray.”
“Oh, yes, it does, Violet,” Benny objected. “I have to have red. And Henry doesn’t care.”
Henry laughed. He really didn’t care. All he wanted was breakfast. Of course he knew that Violet should have the one that was her color.
The four Aldens sat down on the sand and began to eat their first meal at the seashore.
“I don’t understand people,” Violet said suddenly. She took a bite of bacon. “Everyone on this beach is sleeping. It’s the best part of the day. And nobody is awake to enjoy it except us and the fishermen.”
It was true. Not a person was on the beach for nearly a mile.
Benny sat cross-legged, drinking milk. He said, “I think we are the luckiest people in the world. Something is always happening to us. Right?”
“Yes,” agreed Jessie. “Things seem to happen all of a sudden, so that makes it more exciting. Of course Grandfather Alden thinks up a lot of things for us to do.”
“Not this time,” replied Benny. “We owe this to Uncle Andy. What a man! He is so restless and always going somewhere. Then he doesn’t stay very long. It’s lucky Aunt Jane can keep up with him and go whenever he wants to go.”
Henry said slowly, “I believe Aunt Jane thought Uncle Andy would be happy to stay here all summer. He loves to go fishing and clamming and sailing. She didn’t buy this beautiful mobile home for just two weeks.”
“Well, that’s Uncle Andy for you,” Violet said peacefully. “Just the minute he heard about that special African trip he had to get tickets and go. But it was lucky for us. We can stay here or not, just as we like.”
“Just turn the key and go home when we feel like it,” Benny agreed. “It’s lucky Henry has a car of his own now.”
Henry laughed. “Yes, and isn’t it good I picked out a car big enough for all of us?”
“That was a fine breakfast,” Benny said. “It won’t take long to clean up.” But nobody moved.
“Look
Sea and Sand
J essie Alden stood at the door. “Oh, what a beautiful morning!” she said on that hot July day.
“You can say that again, Jessie,” added Benny Alden. He looked out at the blue ocean and white sand. There was not a cloud in the sky.
Violet and Henry came to the door and looked out, too. The sea gulls were sailing around a fishing boat, making a great noise.
“This is the funniest thing,” said Benny. “Here we are at Aunt Jane and Uncle Andy’s new trailer at the beach. A day or so ago we were at home without the least idea of going anywhere at all.”
Benny called it a trailer, but it really was a mobile home. The outside was painted Aunt Jane’s favorite color, blue, with white trim. Inside there was one bedroom for the two girls. Benny and his brother Henry had a double couch in the living room.
Best of all, the trailer was right on the beach. Behind it was a great space of beach grass. But in front, the Aldens could step down two steps right into the sand.
“Let’s eat breakfast on the sand, Jessie,” suggested Violet. “It won’t be much work if we all carry our own dishes.”
“I’m more than willing to carry mine,” Benny said. “I’ll carry them all if we can eat right away.”
Henry laughed. Benny was always hungry—at home, on a trip, in the mountains, at the beach. Benny didn’t change.
“Come on, Ben,” Henry said. “You and I will fold up this bed into a couch.”
“OK,” said Benny. “Then our bedroom will look like a living room. Magic!”
In the tiny kitchen, the two girls worked fast, for they were hungry, too.
“Aunt Jane left the things we like best,” said Jessie. “I’ll cook the bacon and eggs, Violet, and you make the toast.”
There were four trays. One was red, one was blue, one was green, and the last was violet. There was no doubt about the tray each of the Aldens would take. Jessie took the blue one, Benny took the red.
“The food is the same on every tray,” Violet said. “It makes no difference what color tray.”
“Oh, yes, it does, Violet,” Benny objected. “I have to have red. And Henry doesn’t care.”
Henry laughed. He really didn’t care. All he wanted was breakfast. Of course he knew that Violet should have the one that was her color.
The four Aldens sat down on the sand and began to eat their first meal at the seashore.
“I don’t understand people,” Violet said suddenly. She took a bite of bacon. “Everyone on this beach is sleeping. It’s the best part of the day. And nobody is awake to enjoy it except us and the fishermen.”
It was true. Not a person was on the beach for nearly a mile.
Benny sat cross-legged, drinking milk. He said, “I think we are the luckiest people in the world. Something is always happening to us. Right?”
“Yes,” agreed Jessie. “Things seem to happen all of a sudden, so that makes it more exciting. Of course Grandfather Alden thinks up a lot of things for us to do.”
“Not this time,” replied Benny. “We owe this to Uncle Andy. What a man! He is so restless and always going somewhere. Then he doesn’t stay very long. It’s lucky Aunt Jane can keep up with him and go whenever he wants to go.”
Henry said slowly, “I believe Aunt Jane thought Uncle Andy would be happy to stay here all summer. He loves to go fishing and clamming and sailing. She didn’t buy this beautiful mobile home for just two weeks.”
“Well, that’s Uncle Andy for you,” Violet said peacefully. “Just the minute he heard about that special African trip he had to get tickets and go. But it was lucky for us. We can stay here or not, just as we like.”
“Just turn the key and go home when we feel like it,” Benny agreed. “It’s lucky Henry has a car of his own now.”
Henry laughed. “Yes, and isn’t it good I picked out a car big enough for all of us?”
“That was a fine breakfast,” Benny said. “It won’t take long to clean up.” But nobody moved.
“Look
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