in and chat with Mrs. Johnson.
After being in the bright sun, the children blinked at the dim interior.
From the darkness came a sudden loud cry. “Hello!”
Violet was so startled, she nearly dropped her tote bag. “What . . . ?”
Ethel Johnson waved a hand. “Oh, pay no attention to Mollie. She just wants to be noticed.”
As their eyes adjusted to the dim light, the kids realized the screamer was a red parrot on a tall perch.
“Wow!” Benny cried. “What a big beak she has! I bet she eats a lot!”
“Only nuts and seeds,” said Ethel. “And animal crackers.”
“Does she say different things?” Jessie asked. She thought the bird was beautiful.
“When she’s in the mood,” Mrs. Johnson replied. “Now I’ll take you to your rooms. This is a little hotel. I hope you don’t mind sharing two baths.”
“Not at all,” said Grandfather. “Your place is charming.”
“How nice of you to say so,” Mrs. Johnson said, leading them down a long hall. “There are five rooms. I’ve put you in three, all in the back, so you can see the sunrise. The girls are in here and the boys are next door. Mr. Alden is across the hall. Right now, you are my only guests.”
“Thank you,” Grandfather said.
“If you need anything, just give a yell,” shouted Mrs. Johnson on her way back down the hall.
As soon as the woman was down the stairs, Jessie began giggling.
“What’s so funny?” Henry asked.
“No wonder the parrot is so loud,” Jessie said between giggles. “He learned to yell from Mrs. Johnson.”
They all went into their rooms to unpack. The rooms were cheerfully decorated with prints of the Florida Everglades.
“It looks like a swamp,” said Benny, staring at the picture over his bed.
“It isn’t, really,” Henry told him. “It’s more like a river, with this long grass growing in it. You’ll see. We’ll go there tomorrow.”
“I wish we could go today,” Benny said. “I want to see an alligator.”
Just then Grandfather passed their door. “There you all are. I want to make some calls to Andrew and the visitors’ center where he works before the Everglades Park closes.”
“What about dinner?” Benny said, alligators suddenly forgotten.
“We’ll eat in a while, after I make the calls,” Grandfather told him. “Why don’t you kids go for a walk? It’s been a long trip, first on the plane, then driving out from the city. You could use the exercise.”
“Great idea,” said Violet. “Let’s take a look at our neighborhood.”
The sun was just beginning to slide over the stately royal palms that lined the street. The air smelled sweet from flowers.
“I’d love to live here,” said Jessie, picking a trumpet-shaped blossom and tucking it behind one ear. “It would be like summer all the time.”
“But wouldn’t you miss the leaves falling?” said Violet.
“And snow?” Henry put in.
“And Watch? And Mrs. McGregor?” Benny added.
Jessie laughed. “All right! All right! I’m not moving to Florida!”
They strolled down the block. The houses were similar in style to the Flamingo Hotel. A few had signs out front advertising rooms for rent. At the end of the street was another small hotel called simply Seashells.
A man sat on the porch swing, reading a newspaper.
Violet noticed he had bushy brownish hair. He needed a haircut.
As if he read her mind, the man slowly lowered the newspaper. He stared at the Aldens.
“Hello,” Violet said shyly.
“Nice evening, isn’t it?” Henry added pleasantly.
“Hrmmpf,” was all the man said, and went back to his newspaper.
“I wonder what’s wrong with him?” Jessie whispered as they turned around and went back to their own hotel.
“Maybe he hasn’t had his dinner yet,” Benny said.
“I got the hint, Benny,” said Henry. “Race you back!”
The kids were red-faced and sweaty when they reached the pink-painted porch.
Grandfather was waiting for them.
“Are we going to dinner now?” Benny
After being in the bright sun, the children blinked at the dim interior.
From the darkness came a sudden loud cry. “Hello!”
Violet was so startled, she nearly dropped her tote bag. “What . . . ?”
Ethel Johnson waved a hand. “Oh, pay no attention to Mollie. She just wants to be noticed.”
As their eyes adjusted to the dim light, the kids realized the screamer was a red parrot on a tall perch.
“Wow!” Benny cried. “What a big beak she has! I bet she eats a lot!”
“Only nuts and seeds,” said Ethel. “And animal crackers.”
“Does she say different things?” Jessie asked. She thought the bird was beautiful.
“When she’s in the mood,” Mrs. Johnson replied. “Now I’ll take you to your rooms. This is a little hotel. I hope you don’t mind sharing two baths.”
“Not at all,” said Grandfather. “Your place is charming.”
“How nice of you to say so,” Mrs. Johnson said, leading them down a long hall. “There are five rooms. I’ve put you in three, all in the back, so you can see the sunrise. The girls are in here and the boys are next door. Mr. Alden is across the hall. Right now, you are my only guests.”
“Thank you,” Grandfather said.
“If you need anything, just give a yell,” shouted Mrs. Johnson on her way back down the hall.
As soon as the woman was down the stairs, Jessie began giggling.
“What’s so funny?” Henry asked.
“No wonder the parrot is so loud,” Jessie said between giggles. “He learned to yell from Mrs. Johnson.”
They all went into their rooms to unpack. The rooms were cheerfully decorated with prints of the Florida Everglades.
“It looks like a swamp,” said Benny, staring at the picture over his bed.
“It isn’t, really,” Henry told him. “It’s more like a river, with this long grass growing in it. You’ll see. We’ll go there tomorrow.”
“I wish we could go today,” Benny said. “I want to see an alligator.”
Just then Grandfather passed their door. “There you all are. I want to make some calls to Andrew and the visitors’ center where he works before the Everglades Park closes.”
“What about dinner?” Benny said, alligators suddenly forgotten.
“We’ll eat in a while, after I make the calls,” Grandfather told him. “Why don’t you kids go for a walk? It’s been a long trip, first on the plane, then driving out from the city. You could use the exercise.”
“Great idea,” said Violet. “Let’s take a look at our neighborhood.”
The sun was just beginning to slide over the stately royal palms that lined the street. The air smelled sweet from flowers.
“I’d love to live here,” said Jessie, picking a trumpet-shaped blossom and tucking it behind one ear. “It would be like summer all the time.”
“But wouldn’t you miss the leaves falling?” said Violet.
“And snow?” Henry put in.
“And Watch? And Mrs. McGregor?” Benny added.
Jessie laughed. “All right! All right! I’m not moving to Florida!”
They strolled down the block. The houses were similar in style to the Flamingo Hotel. A few had signs out front advertising rooms for rent. At the end of the street was another small hotel called simply Seashells.
A man sat on the porch swing, reading a newspaper.
Violet noticed he had bushy brownish hair. He needed a haircut.
As if he read her mind, the man slowly lowered the newspaper. He stared at the Aldens.
“Hello,” Violet said shyly.
“Nice evening, isn’t it?” Henry added pleasantly.
“Hrmmpf,” was all the man said, and went back to his newspaper.
“I wonder what’s wrong with him?” Jessie whispered as they turned around and went back to their own hotel.
“Maybe he hasn’t had his dinner yet,” Benny said.
“I got the hint, Benny,” said Henry. “Race you back!”
The kids were red-faced and sweaty when they reached the pink-painted porch.
Grandfather was waiting for them.
“Are we going to dinner now?” Benny
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