boxcar. It is ours!”
“Yours?” Mr. Chessy didn’t like hearing that. He thought for a moment. Then he said, “Well, I’m willing to pay you a great deal of money for your boxcar.”
“It’s not for sale,” said Jessie.
“Not at any price,” said Violet.
“Not even a million, trillion dollars,” said Benny.
As each of them spoke, the smile faded from Mr. Chessy’s face.
He looked from one to the other. “You are being very foolish children,” he said.
“No, we’re not,” said Jessie. “We don’t need lots and lots of money. We have everything we need right here with our grandfather.”
“Foolish children,” repeated Mr. Chessy. “You’ll change your minds.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. “This is my card,” he said. “If you call this number, you can always reach me. I’ll talk to you again soon.”
“We won’t change our minds,” said Henry.
“You’ll change your minds,” said Mr. Chessy. “I will have your boxcar. I’ll see to that, one way or the other!”
With that, he marched back to the waiting taxicab and rode away.
CHAPTER 2
A Strange Visitor
H e can’t have our boxcar, can he?” asked Benny.
“No, Benny,” said Jessie. “It’s our boxcar and we’re going to keep it!”
Henry clapped his hand to his forehead. “Oh, no! I almost forgot. We’re supposed to go to the grocery store for Mrs. McGregor.”
Putting the rather strange Mr. Chessy out of their thoughts for the moment, the children hurried into the house.
“You didn’t forget, did you?” Mrs. McGregor teased.
Henry’s cheeks turned red. “Well, not exactly,” he said. He was glad when Benny spoke up.
“What are we going to get at the grocery store?” Benny asked. “Is it for dessert tonight?” He looked hopeful. Benny was always hungry.
“No, I’ve already made dessert for tonight, Benny,” answered Mrs. McGregor. Her merry eyes twinkled. “But if you don’t like apple pie, I might be able to make something else.”
“Oh, no!” exclaimed Benny. “I love apple pie.
His brother and sisters laughed. Mrs. McGregor laughed, too. Then she bent over the kitchen table and wrote something else on her grocery list. She picked up the list and handed it to Henry.
Henry folded it and carefully put it in his pocket. He checked to make sure he had enough money for groceries.
Violet asked, “Are we shopping for our Founders’ Day dinner already?”
Mrs. McGregor nodded. “That you are,” she said. “I may not have to begin cooking it yet, but I want to start getting ready.”
“It’ll be like Thanksgiving,” said Benny. “I’m going to get all my favorite foods at one time!”
The four children got their bicycles and rode to town with Watch trotting beside them on his leash. When they got there, the sidewalks and streets were very crowded. So they decided to walk their bicycles along the sidewalk and look in the windows until they got to the grocery store.
Suddenly, Jessie stopped. “Look,” she said. “A parade!”
Henry stopped behind Jessie and read aloud from the sign posted in the window of the hardware store: “‘The Founders’ Day Parade: A Parade to Celebrate the Founding of Greenfield. Come see the parade — or be in it.’”
“Wow,” said Jessie. “That would be great, to be in a parade!”
“I don’t know,” said Violet. “Parades are fun to watch, too.” Violet looked a little worried at the idea of being in a parade. She was very shy.
“Let’s at least find out about it,” said Henry. “Then we can decide.”
“How will we find out?” asked Benny.
“Let’s ask inside the hardware store,” suggested Jessie. They all went inside.
“Could you tell us more about the parade?” Henry asked the owner of the store.
“It’s on the sign in your window,” added Jessie.
The hardware store owner said, “Of course. In fact, I can tell you everything you need to know.” She reached over to the counter and picked up a
“Yours?” Mr. Chessy didn’t like hearing that. He thought for a moment. Then he said, “Well, I’m willing to pay you a great deal of money for your boxcar.”
“It’s not for sale,” said Jessie.
“Not at any price,” said Violet.
“Not even a million, trillion dollars,” said Benny.
As each of them spoke, the smile faded from Mr. Chessy’s face.
He looked from one to the other. “You are being very foolish children,” he said.
“No, we’re not,” said Jessie. “We don’t need lots and lots of money. We have everything we need right here with our grandfather.”
“Foolish children,” repeated Mr. Chessy. “You’ll change your minds.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. “This is my card,” he said. “If you call this number, you can always reach me. I’ll talk to you again soon.”
“We won’t change our minds,” said Henry.
“You’ll change your minds,” said Mr. Chessy. “I will have your boxcar. I’ll see to that, one way or the other!”
With that, he marched back to the waiting taxicab and rode away.
CHAPTER 2
A Strange Visitor
H e can’t have our boxcar, can he?” asked Benny.
“No, Benny,” said Jessie. “It’s our boxcar and we’re going to keep it!”
Henry clapped his hand to his forehead. “Oh, no! I almost forgot. We’re supposed to go to the grocery store for Mrs. McGregor.”
Putting the rather strange Mr. Chessy out of their thoughts for the moment, the children hurried into the house.
“You didn’t forget, did you?” Mrs. McGregor teased.
Henry’s cheeks turned red. “Well, not exactly,” he said. He was glad when Benny spoke up.
“What are we going to get at the grocery store?” Benny asked. “Is it for dessert tonight?” He looked hopeful. Benny was always hungry.
“No, I’ve already made dessert for tonight, Benny,” answered Mrs. McGregor. Her merry eyes twinkled. “But if you don’t like apple pie, I might be able to make something else.”
“Oh, no!” exclaimed Benny. “I love apple pie.
His brother and sisters laughed. Mrs. McGregor laughed, too. Then she bent over the kitchen table and wrote something else on her grocery list. She picked up the list and handed it to Henry.
Henry folded it and carefully put it in his pocket. He checked to make sure he had enough money for groceries.
Violet asked, “Are we shopping for our Founders’ Day dinner already?”
Mrs. McGregor nodded. “That you are,” she said. “I may not have to begin cooking it yet, but I want to start getting ready.”
“It’ll be like Thanksgiving,” said Benny. “I’m going to get all my favorite foods at one time!”
The four children got their bicycles and rode to town with Watch trotting beside them on his leash. When they got there, the sidewalks and streets were very crowded. So they decided to walk their bicycles along the sidewalk and look in the windows until they got to the grocery store.
Suddenly, Jessie stopped. “Look,” she said. “A parade!”
Henry stopped behind Jessie and read aloud from the sign posted in the window of the hardware store: “‘The Founders’ Day Parade: A Parade to Celebrate the Founding of Greenfield. Come see the parade — or be in it.’”
“Wow,” said Jessie. “That would be great, to be in a parade!”
“I don’t know,” said Violet. “Parades are fun to watch, too.” Violet looked a little worried at the idea of being in a parade. She was very shy.
“Let’s at least find out about it,” said Henry. “Then we can decide.”
“How will we find out?” asked Benny.
“Let’s ask inside the hardware store,” suggested Jessie. They all went inside.
“Could you tell us more about the parade?” Henry asked the owner of the store.
“It’s on the sign in your window,” added Jessie.
The hardware store owner said, “Of course. In fact, I can tell you everything you need to know.” She reached over to the counter and picked up a
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