儿童英语读物 The Cupcake Caper CHAPTER 4 The Clue in the Flowers

At lunch the next day, Grandfather had an announcement to make. “Mama Tova called a little while ago. She wants us all to come to Sweets before the store opens.”



“Did something else bad happen?” Benny asked.



“No,” Grandfather said. “She wants to thank you for helping 1 her clean up yesterday, Mama Tova is going to make some special cupcakes.”



Benny jumped up and ran out the door. A minute later, he stuck his head back inside. “Aren’t you coming?” he asked his brother and sisters.



Henry laughed. “We’re coming, Benny.” He stood and began clearing the table. “We have plenty of time to clean up from our lunch and still get to the store when it opens.”



“Oh. Right.” Benny grabbed 3 as many dishes as he could carry from the table and quickly took them in one huge stack to the sink. When he came back for a second load, Violet had to grab 2 her carrot sticks before her plate disappeared.



“Okay,” Benny said, returning to the table. “Dishes are in the sink.” He looked at his family. “Can we wash them later? After the cupcakes?” He rubbed his belly 4. “My stomach can hear the cupcakes calling me.”



Everyone giggled 5.



“Grab your jackets,” Grandfather told the children. “You can ride your bikes over. I’ll wash up and meet you there.”



Benny gave Grandfather a big hug. “Thanks!” he said, and rushed out of the house.



Jessie grabbed her notebook on her way out the door. She hoped Mrs. Waldman would be at the cupcake shop too. There were some questions she wanted to ask.



“Why is there dirt all over the sidewalk?” Jessie asked Violet as they parked their bikes in front of Sweets. The pavement was covered with crumpled 6 flowers and dirt.



Violet stared at the mess. “It can’t be!” she cried. “It looks like someone dug up Mama Tova’s beautiful flower boxes.”



“Oh no!” Benny exclaimed, getting off his bicycle. “It is another mess!”



Alicia came out of the store just then. She was holding a shovel 7. “Oh,” she said when she saw the Aldens, “What are you doing here?”



Benny said, “Mama Tova invited us to a little thank-you party she was having at the shop today. She said to come before the store opened.”



“I didn’t realize Mama Tova was coming to the store early today,” Alicia said, looking down at the dirt. “I was walking by the shop, on my way to the bookstore when I saw this big mess. So I went inside and got a shovel so I could start cleaning it up for her.”



Henry said, “We can help, too.”



“Mama Tova should know what happened.” Jessie said. “I think we need to go call her.” She and Violet went to use the phone. Benny and Henry and Alicia started to pick up the flowers, hoping some of them could be saved.



“I’m glad Grandfather taught us how to plant flowers,” Benny said, looking at a wilted 8 marigold’s roots.



Henry smiled. “Maybe you’ll be a gardener when you grow up.”



“I don’t think so,” Benny said, shaking his head. “I would rather be a chef. I’ll make steak, and baked potatoes, and delicious desserts, and then more steak!”



“Mmmm. I’ll come eat at your restaurant every day,” Henry said, grinning at his brother.



Mama Tova arrived with Jessie and Violet. She was carrying a bag of soil and a watering can.



Grandfather pulled up in his car at the same time.



“The girls just told me about the mess,” Mama Tova said. “I brought some supplies.” She set down the soil and picked up one of her torn plants. “So sad,” she said, inspecting it closely. “I don’t understand why someone would dig up my flowers!”



“I’ll go fill the watering can,” Alicia said, and rushed off behind the building.



“We think we know why someone would dig them up,” Jessie said, taking out her notebook.



“Remember when you told us that the secret ingredient for the cupcakes was under the flower?” Henry reminded Mama Tova. “We think someone overheard 9 you and now they’re searching for your recipe.”



“They are looking under all your flowers!” Benny added.



“Flowers?” Mama Tova said. Closing her eyes, she shook her head. “I don’t understand. And what does this have to do with the mess from yesterday?”



“I know!” Jessie exclaimed. “Someone heard you say where the secret is kept, but they didn’t know if you meant f-1-o-w-e-r, like plants and decorations, or f-1-o-u-r, as in the white powdery stuff for baking.”



“Flower or flour?” Mama Tova wondered aloud. “Well then, now I see why someone tore up all my decorations and spilled my baking flour everywhere, too. Goodness me, I can’t let them get my family recipe! What am I going to do?”



“We are here to help,” Benny said. “We’ll clean up today and also to find out who did this.”



“Thank you,” Mama Tova replied with a sigh as they all set to work replanting the flowers. Alicia came back with the water and then, using her shovel, prepared the planter. She put in new soil while Jessie and Violet dug little holes for the plants.



“There are a few plants missing,” Grandfather said, counting the holes and the healthy plants. “Unfortunately some flowers lost all their petals 10. But don’t worry, Mama Tova,” he said, putting his arm around her. “I’ve got plenty of flowers in my own garden. I can bring some here.” Grandfather left for a few minutes while the children worked on cleaning off the sidewalk. He returned with some beautiful daisies and snapdragons.



After Alicia and the Alden children were finished planting and watering, Mama Tova apologized to them. “I am so sorry. With the flower mess, I don’t have time to make a special cupcake party for you children today. I need to get ready to open the store for customers now.”



“No party?” Benny said in a sad voice. “But we are already here. Maybe we could wait until the cupcakes are ready.”



“Tell you what,” Henry said to Benny, “We can come back for cupcakes another day. Today, let’s go have an ice cream cone 11 instead.”



At that, Benny’s face lit up. “Really?” he asked his brother.



Henry looked to Grandfather for approval. Grandfather said, “A terrific 12 idea.”



Alicia and Mama Tova went inside to get Sweets ready for business. The Aldens walked across the street to the ice cream parlor 13 and went inside.



Pauly Tova was sitting at a table near the door. He was eating a chocolate sundae.



While Grandfather ordered ice cream cones 14, the Aldens talked to Mama Tova’s nephew.



Pauly pointed 15 at his watch. “Sweets doesn’t open for a while. I couldn’t wait that long to get a treat.”



“Did you hear about the mess over at Sweets?” Benny asked.



“Sure,” Pauly said. “I went there yesterday as soon as I heard, but you had already been there. The whole place was cleaned up.”



“I didn’t mean that mess,” Benny replied. “I meant today’s mess.”



“What are you talking about?” Pauly said.



“Didn’t you see what happened to the flower planter boxes?” Jessie asked. Pauly was sitting at the window right across from Sweets.



“Huh?” Pauly looked out the window. “What happened?”



Violet explained what had happened.



“I can’t believe it!” Pauly exclaimed. “I’ve been here for a while and never saw anything. I must have been concentrating on my ice cream.”



Pauly took a long look at his aunt’s shop and then told the Aldens, “You know, some day I’m going to take over Sweets. The secret recipe has to go to someone in the family. And I am family.” He paused then added, “When I get that recipe, I won’t hang onto it like Aunt Tova. I’ll sell it for sure to the person who offers the most money. I’m going to drive a fancy car and have so many baseball cards that they will fill a whole room in my mansion 16.” Pauly pulled a small stack of baseball cards out from his pocket. “I already have a few, but I am going to have way, way more!”



“Really? You want more baseball cards?” Benny asked, looking at the pile. “But that’s not what Mama Tova wants. I don’t think she likes baseball.”



While Pauly was showing the cards to Henry, Jessie saw that his fingernails were very dirty. But as soon as Pauly noticed her looking at his fingers, he dropped the cards and slid his hands under the table.



“All my aunt wants to do is to make cupcakes! Her little store is too small to ever make her rich!” Pauly told Benny. “But someday there will be Pauly Tova cupcakes in every store all over Greenfield. You’ll see.”



Just then Grandfather came over with the ice cream cones.



“I better go over and make sure Aunt Tova is okay,” Pauly said. “Maybe I can help get the shop ready to open.” Pauly took his trash to the can and waved goodbye.



“Did you see his fingernails?” Jessie asked the others. “I really think we need to put Pauly on the suspect list. Not only does he want to sell the recipe, but he had a lot of brown stuff under his finger nails. Maybe it’s dirt from the planter box!”



“Or it might just be chocolate from his sundae,” Violet noted 17.



Henry said, “It’s impossible to tell.”



“Well, then,” Jessie said, pulling out her notebook and clicking open her pen, “until we are sure what it is, Pauly Tova has just become Suspect Number Three.”