CHAPTER 1
Who Threw That?
“I sure hope it flies!” cried six-year-old Benny as he jumped to his feet. “Do you think it will?”
“There’s only one way to find out,” said Henry who was fourteen. “Toss it in the air and see what happens.”
It was a warm August afternoon and the four Alden children — Henry Jessie, Violet, and Benny — were in a little park on the edge of the town of Greenfield. They were making paper airplanes while their dog, Watch, dozed in the sun nearby.
“I guess you’re right, Henry,” said Benny. “There’s only one way to find out.” And he tossed his paper airplane into the air. “Look!” Benny began hopping up and down excitedly. “It’s flying!”
“Way to go, Benny!” Ten-year-old Violet clapped her hands and cheered.
Jessie, who was twelve, gave her little brother a thumbs-up. “Great job, Benny!”
Watch, who was awake from his nap, went racing across the park. A moment later he came running back with Benny’s airplane in his mouth. Wagging his tail, the dog dropped the airplane at Benny’s feet.
“Thanks, Watch!” As Benny bent to pick it up, a frown crossed his round face. “Uh-oh.”
“What is it, Benny?” Jessie asked.
“Watch chewed it up a bit,” Benny told her. “I don’t think it’ll fly anymore.”
“Never mind, Benny.” Violet had folded a square sheet of purple paper into the shape of an airplane. Then she drew a rainbow pattern on the wings with her colored pencils. “You can have this one when I’m done,” she offered. Violet was artistic and liked making beautiful things.
Sitting down again, Benny shook his head. “That’s okay, Violet.” He shoved the chewed-up airplane into his back pocket. “I can make another one in no time.” And he reached for another sheet of paper.
“Just remember,” said Jessie, who often acted like a mother to her younger brother and sister, “the important thing is to make sure the corners and the ends of the paper fit together when you make the folds.”
Violet looked up and waved to Mrs. Spencer. Mrs. Spencer was a neighbor and a good friend of the Aldens. She lived across the street from the park, and today the children had helped her bring groceries home from the supermarket. Now she waved to them from her front porch.
“Why don’t you come and get some lemonade before you go,” she called.
“Oh, thank you, Mrs. Spencer,” said Jessie, walking up the steps with her brothers and sister. “We could use something cold right now.”
Mrs. Spencer poured lemonade into tall glasses. Then she sighed and smiled. “Watching you in the park cheers me up a bit. I remember my school days with my best friend, Milly Manchester. I used to pass her messages — on paper airplanes!”
“Really?” Benny stared wide-eyed. “Did you ever get caught?”
“Yes, I did,” Mrs. Spencer replied as she made herself comfortable on a porch chair. “And the teacher made us stay after school. We had to write I will not throw paper airplanes in school a hundred times on the blackboard.”
“Wow!” Benny’s big eyes grew even rounder. “I bet that took a long time.”
Henry, Jessie, and Violet laughed. They couldn’t imagine Mrs. Spencer throwing paper airplanes. She was such a sweet lady, and it was hard to think of her getting into trouble at school.
“Have we ever told you about our old days, Mrs. Spencer?” Jessie asked. “When we lived in the boxcar?”
“Why, your grandfather told me. It sounds like quite an adventure!” said Mrs. Spencer.
After their parents died, the four Alden children had run away. For a while, their home was an old abandoned boxcar in the woods. But then their grandfather, James Alden, found them, and he brought his grandchildren to live with him in his big white house in Connecticut. Even the boxcar was given a special place in the backyard. The children often used it as a clubhouse.
“Did our grandfather tell you about Watch?” Benny wanted to know.
Who Threw That?
“I sure hope it flies!” cried six-year-old Benny as he jumped to his feet. “Do you think it will?”
“There’s only one way to find out,” said Henry who was fourteen. “Toss it in the air and see what happens.”
It was a warm August afternoon and the four Alden children — Henry Jessie, Violet, and Benny — were in a little park on the edge of the town of Greenfield. They were making paper airplanes while their dog, Watch, dozed in the sun nearby.
“I guess you’re right, Henry,” said Benny. “There’s only one way to find out.” And he tossed his paper airplane into the air. “Look!” Benny began hopping up and down excitedly. “It’s flying!”
“Way to go, Benny!” Ten-year-old Violet clapped her hands and cheered.
Jessie, who was twelve, gave her little brother a thumbs-up. “Great job, Benny!”
Watch, who was awake from his nap, went racing across the park. A moment later he came running back with Benny’s airplane in his mouth. Wagging his tail, the dog dropped the airplane at Benny’s feet.
“Thanks, Watch!” As Benny bent to pick it up, a frown crossed his round face. “Uh-oh.”
“What is it, Benny?” Jessie asked.
“Watch chewed it up a bit,” Benny told her. “I don’t think it’ll fly anymore.”
“Never mind, Benny.” Violet had folded a square sheet of purple paper into the shape of an airplane. Then she drew a rainbow pattern on the wings with her colored pencils. “You can have this one when I’m done,” she offered. Violet was artistic and liked making beautiful things.
Sitting down again, Benny shook his head. “That’s okay, Violet.” He shoved the chewed-up airplane into his back pocket. “I can make another one in no time.” And he reached for another sheet of paper.
“Just remember,” said Jessie, who often acted like a mother to her younger brother and sister, “the important thing is to make sure the corners and the ends of the paper fit together when you make the folds.”
Violet looked up and waved to Mrs. Spencer. Mrs. Spencer was a neighbor and a good friend of the Aldens. She lived across the street from the park, and today the children had helped her bring groceries home from the supermarket. Now she waved to them from her front porch.
“Why don’t you come and get some lemonade before you go,” she called.
“Oh, thank you, Mrs. Spencer,” said Jessie, walking up the steps with her brothers and sister. “We could use something cold right now.”
Mrs. Spencer poured lemonade into tall glasses. Then she sighed and smiled. “Watching you in the park cheers me up a bit. I remember my school days with my best friend, Milly Manchester. I used to pass her messages — on paper airplanes!”
“Really?” Benny stared wide-eyed. “Did you ever get caught?”
“Yes, I did,” Mrs. Spencer replied as she made herself comfortable on a porch chair. “And the teacher made us stay after school. We had to write I will not throw paper airplanes in school a hundred times on the blackboard.”
“Wow!” Benny’s big eyes grew even rounder. “I bet that took a long time.”
Henry, Jessie, and Violet laughed. They couldn’t imagine Mrs. Spencer throwing paper airplanes. She was such a sweet lady, and it was hard to think of her getting into trouble at school.
“Have we ever told you about our old days, Mrs. Spencer?” Jessie asked. “When we lived in the boxcar?”
“Why, your grandfather told me. It sounds like quite an adventure!” said Mrs. Spencer.
After their parents died, the four Alden children had run away. For a while, their home was an old abandoned boxcar in the woods. But then their grandfather, James Alden, found them, and he brought his grandchildren to live with him in his big white house in Connecticut. Even the boxcar was given a special place in the backyard. The children often used it as a clubhouse.
“Did our grandfather tell you about Watch?” Benny wanted to know.
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