The Garden Thief by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page A

grown in the community gardens. I have won blue ribbons three years in a row. Once for my tomatoes, once for my cucumbers, and once for my carrots.” He looked at the children. “Maybe, with your help, my garden will produce good vegetables. That is the important thing.” He sipped more tea. “And maybe, just maybe, I will win another blue ribbon this year.”
    “What’s a community garden?” Benny asked.
    Henry, who had learned it in school, explained that a community garden was a large plot of land on which many different people had gardens.
    Mr. Yee nodded. “That is correct,” he said. “Instead of each of us having a little garden in our backyards, we all go to the same place to grow our gardens.”
    “That sounds wonderful,” said Violet.
    “It is,” said Mr. Yee. “Although. …”
    “Although what?” asked Jessie.
    “This year isn’t like before,” said Mr. Yee. “There have been problems this year.”
    “What problems?” asked Benny.
    “Somebody has been driving an ATV through the gardens, running over plants,” said Mr. Yee. He looked at Benny. “An ATV is an All Terrain Vehicle,” he said.
    Benny nodded. “I know that. An ATV can have three wheels or four wheels. Vroooommmmm!”
    Mr. Yee smiled at Benny. “No four-wheeled ATV is guilty,” he said. “Whoever is running over plants drives a three-wheeled ATV.”
    “That’s mean to ride over plants,” said Henry, “Do you know who’s doing it?”
    Mr. Yee shook his head. “And that’s not all. Somebody has been stealing vegetables from the gardens. Last week they took all of my young broccoli plants.”
    “A vandal and a thief,” Jessie said.
    “Or a vandal who’s also a thief,” said Henry.
    “That’s not good,” Jessie said as she looked at her brothers and sister. They nodded their heads.
    “We will help you with your garden, Mr. Yee,” said Jessie. “And we’ll also find out who’s been harming the gardens.”
    Mr. Yee looked at the children. “Well,” he said, “James always says that the four of you can solve mysteries.”
    “Oh, they sure can,” said Mrs. McGregor as she collected the cups and plates.
    Violet looked out the window. “The drizzle has stopped,” she said. “Maybe we can go with you to the community garden now,” she said to Mr. Yee.
    Mrs. McGregor spoke up. “But how did you get here?” she asked Mr. Yee. “You can’t drive, not with your arm in that big cast. And you can’t ride your bike, either.”
    “I walked,” said Mr. Yee with a frown. “I miss my bike.”
    “Well,” said Mrs. McGregor, taking off her apron, “I’ll drive all of you to the gardens, then I’ll come back for you later.”
    Mr. Yee stood. “Thank you so much,” he said.
    *  *  *
    “Wow!” said Benny as Mrs. McGregor turned into the lane marked Greenfield Community Gardens. “Look at all the plants!”
    “The gardens are right across the road from the Kirk Farm,” said Jessie. “My class took a tour of the working farm last year.”
    Mr. Yee started to get out of the car. Violet got out of the back seat and opened the front car door to help him.
    “I loved riding my bike here each day,” he said. “Now I must walk, until my arm heals.”
    After Mrs. McGregor drove off, Mr. Yee told the children he would give them a brief tour of the community gardens before he showed them how to help.
    “The gardens are divided into five sections,” he told them. “Sections A through E. Each section has five garden plots.”
    Jessie noticed five tall posts, each marking one of the five sections.
    “We’ll save Section A for last,” explained Mr. Yee as he walked toward Section E. The Aldens followed him.
    At Section E, Mr. Yee showed the children five different plots, numbered one through five.
    “Everything is so neat,” said Henry. “Every section is marked, and every plot is marked.”
    Jessie agreed. She looked around. “And there are no fences.”
    Mr. Yee scratched the fingers of his right