儿童英语读物 The Great Turkey Heist CHAPTER 10 Two Confessions

Benny dipped a thick slice of fresh bread into his stew. He was still holding the football that the coach had given to him after the game.



“Benny,” Grandfather said. “Why don’t you go put your football in your room?”



“I need to carry the football everywhere, Grandfather,” Benny said. “I have to practice so I can be on the team when I am in high school.”



“I thought you liked the band,” Violet said.



“I did!” Benny scooped a potato chunk into his mouth. “I liked both. I am going to play football, and then I will play in the band at halftime. I want to play the drums.”



Everyone talked about how much fun the football game had been. It was exciting that Greenfield High had won the championship. After dinner, the children helped Mrs. McGregor in the kitchen. She was baking pumpkin pies to donate for the free Thanksgiving dinner at Green Fields restaurant. Soon, the whole table was filled with delicious pies.



“We’ll let them cool,” Mrs. McGregor said. “I will put them in boxes later. All except for this one.”



“Is there something wrong with that one?” asked Benny.



Mrs. McGregor shook her head. “No, but I made one pie too many. Do you have any ideas what we could do with it?”



“Eat it!” Benny cried. “Did you make that pie for us?”



Mrs. McGregor cut four large slices of pie. “I sure did,” she said.



Jessie poured glasses of cold milk. The children sat in the warm kitchen to eat the pumpkin pie.



“We will have to leave early tomorrow morning,” Jessie said. “It will take a long time to empty all those bags and put all the food on the shelves.”



“Grandfather will drop us off at the food pantry,” Henry said. “He is going into town to take Mrs. McGregor’s pies to Green Fields restaurant.”



Violet poured herself another glass of milk. “Did you know that Grandfather and Mr. Carroll and Colette have offered to drive people to the Thanksgiving dinner?”



Benny licked a dab of whipped cream from his fork. “But why don’t they drive themselves?” he asked.



“Some are not healthy enough to drive,” Henry said. “And some people don’t have cars.”



“Grandfather said that some of our neighbors have already volunteered to drive others to the food pantry once it opens,” Jessie said.



“There are a lot of thoughtful people in Greenfield,” Violet said. “But I hope they can find the food pantry. I wish it was not in such a hidden spot.”



Suddenly, Jessie remembered what she had in her pocket. She pulled it out and set it on the table.



“What’s that?” asked Benny.



“I found it in the trunk of Mr. Grayson’s car today,” Jessie said.



Henry and Violet looked surprised. It was a curled piece of twine. It looked very much like the twine Mr. Carroll had used to tie down Violet’s turkey sign.



“We will need to work fast at the food pantry tomorrow,” Jessie said. “Because when we are done, I think I know where we can find Violet’s giant turkey sign.”



“You know where Tom the turkey is?” Benny asked. He was so excited that he dropped his football, and it rolled across the floor.



“Maybe,” Jessie said. “But we will know for sure tomorrow.”



The next morning, Mrs. McGregor made an especially big Thanksgiving Day breakfast. The children ate platefuls of eggs and bacon and French toast.



“Thank you, Mrs. McGregor!” Violet said. “That was delicious.”



Mrs. McGregor smiled. “I’m glad you liked it. You children have a very big Thanksgiving Day ahead with all of your volunteering. I wanted you to have a good start to the day.”



After breakfast, Grandfather drove the children to the food pantry. Henry used the key to open the door. Everyone was glad that no one had played any tricks. There was no trash thrown on the door. The sign that Violet had painted on the door still looked very nice.



The children worked quickly. Benny was in charge of lining up the cereal boxes. Henry stacked the heavy cans of soup and sauce. Jessie set all the vegetables side-by-side. Violet made signs to place on the shelves so that everyone would be able to find what they were looking for.



Soon, the food pantry looked just like a regular store. All the cans and boxes were neatly on the shelves. The floor was swept clean and the lights shone brightly. Violet’s signs explained where all the food could be found.



The children were just about ready to leave when they heard a banging on the door.



“Oh no!” Violet said. “Do you think the person who played all the tricks is back?”



Henry carefully opened the door. “It’s Mr. Higgins!” he said.



Mr. Higgins walked into the food pantry. He was wearing a dark brown hat and scarf. He looked around at all the food stacked on the shelves. “It looks very nice in here,” he said. “I think that you children have done a wonderful job. I have to admit that I am very embarrassed. In the beginning, I hated the food pantry. I was worried. I thought that no one would shop at my grocery store. I thought everyone would come for the free food at the food pantry.”



“We’re sorry,” Jessie said. “We did not want the food pantry to hurt your grocery store.”



“But it didn’t!” Mr. Higgins said. “It helped my grocery store! When you had the food pantry movie night and football game, my store was very crowded. Everyone in Greenfield wanted to buy cans of beans and vegetables and boxes of cereal to donate to the food pantry. My business has never been better.”



“That’s wonderful,” Jessie said.



“It made me realize something,” Mr. Higgins said. “I was being selfish. I was not thinking. People who shop at my store will not go to the food pantry. They will buy groceries at my store to donate to the food pantry. And people who are hungry will now have a place to go to find something to eat.”



“We are glad that you stopped by to tell us,” Violet said.



Mr. Higgins pulled out his wallet. “I came to confess,” he said, “and to pay you back for what I have done. I am ashamed to tell you that I am the one who threw garbage on the door, put holes in your bicycle tires, and broke the glass jars in your baskets. I even ripped your fliers off the store windows.”



Violet looked at Mr. Higgins’ brown hat and scarf. “You were the man who knocked into Mr. Grayson in the street and spilled all the canned goods.”



“Yes. I’m sorry,” Mr. Higgins said.



Benny jumped up and down. “What about Tom the turkey? Did you steal the sign? Can you give it back now?”



Mr. Higgins looked surprised. “Yes, Benny. I did take it. I was very angry. I took the sign at night after you went home. I threw it in the alley behind my store, and now it is gone. I want to give you some money so that you can make a new sign. I am very sorry for what I have done.”



Jessie shook her head. “We think we know where the sign is,” she said. “We are on our way there now.”



Henry locked the door and everyone headed down Chestnut Street. When they were still a block away, they saw something strange. Ms. Sweeney, the reporter, was outside taking pictures. Tom the turkey was sitting on the roof of Green Fields restaurant!



“What is he doing up there?” Benny asked excitedly.



The children and Mr. Higgins rushed inside the restaurant. Mr. Grayson and Ms. Matthews were sitting at a table, but for once they were not fighting. Grandfather was there, as well.



Violet noticed that the chairs had green leaves painted on the sides. She remembered that the chair she had seen outside the theater had the same design.



Benny ran up to Mr. Grayson. “Tom the turkey is on your roof!” he cried.



“Mr. Grayson already knows that,” Jessie said. “Because he was the one who put Tom the turkey on the roof.”



Mr. Grayson’s face turned red. “You are right, Jessie.”



“But why would you steal the turkey?” Benny asked. “He was supposed to show everyone where the food pantry was. We have been trying to find him for days!”



“I know. I’m sorry, Benny. I did not mean to upset you. I did not steal the turkey sign first. Someone else did. But I found it in the alley behind Mr. Higgins’s grocery store. I wrapped it up in plastic and snuck it to my house. Ms. Matthews saw me carrying the package.”



“I was very suspicious,” Ms. Matthews said. “But I did not know that it was the turkey sign. You hid it very well in that plastic wrapping.”



“You should have given it back,” Benny said.



“I should have, Benny. But I will tell you why I did not. I kept it to help the food pantry. I wanted everyone to know that Greenfield had a food pantry. I called the newspaper to tell them about the missing turkey sign. The next day, the news about the food pantry was on the front page! I wanted more stories about the food pantry. If the turkey stayed missing, there would be more news stories.”



“You snuck into the theater, too.” Jessie said. “You are the one who ran with the turkey across the movie screen and across the football field.”



“I did,” Mr. Grayson said. “The first day, I needed to check to make sure that there was a door in the theater that I could use to escape without being seen. I had to run fast because Benny saw me from the small window in the projection room.”



Violet pointed to the chair that Mr. Grayson was sitting in. “You used one of the chairs from your restaurant to hold the door shut. That is why we could not catch you the night of the movie.”



“I almost did not get the door shut in time,” Mr. Grayson said. “It’s a good thing I had help.”



Noreen had brought in a tray of sandwiches and drinks. “Sorry, kids,” she said. “But it was all for a good cause.”



“It was for a good cause,” Mr. Grayson said. “Because now everyone in Greenfield knows that Violet’s beautiful turkey sign is for the food pantry. When we put it back outside the alley, no one will ever have trouble finding the food pantry again.”



“You sure can run fast with Tom the turkey,” Benny said. “I could not catch you. But at least I got to run on the football field.”



Mr. Grayson turned to Grandfather. “Your grandchildren are not only helpful, they are very good at solving mysteries, as well.”



“What happened to the money that was stolen from Mr. Tipton’s office at the movie theater?” asked Henry.



“It wasn’t really stolen,” Mr. Grayson said. “I still have it. I am going to use it tomorrow to buy fresh fruit and vegetables for the food pantry from Mr. Higgins’s grocery store. I am sorry about making a mess in Mr. Tipton’s office. I thought it would make the newspaper story more interesting. ”



“I would like to help,” Mr. Higgins said. “I know many things about how to run a store. I would be proud to be a part of the food pantry. And I feel very bad about some of the things I have done.” Mr. Higgins told Mr. Grayson what he had confessed to the children. “I want to make it up to you.”



“That would be wonderful,” Mr. Grayson said. “Thank you.”



Ms. Matthews stood up. “I need to get back to my restaurant,” she said. “There is a lot of work to do. A lot of people have made reservations for Thanksgiving dinner tonight. But I will be back to help here when I am done. I also want to do my part to help the needy.”



“So you are not angry about the food pantry anymore?” asked Jessie.



Ms. Matthews smiled. “No. But I was right about Mr. Grayson. He certainly is sneaky. I think he should have let us know what he was doing. We all could have helped him. And I would not have been so suspicious. But it was for a good cause. So I am not angry. I know now that he is a good man. I hope we will be neighbors for a long time. Green Fields is giving a free Thanksgiving dinner to the needy tonight. But Harvest Restaurant will also be full of customers. There is room enough for two good restaurants in Greenfield.”



Later that night after all the food was cooked, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny helped to serve all the people who had come to Green Fields restaurant for the free Thanksgiving meal. It was hard work, but they were glad to do it. They were thankful that they lived with Grandfather, that Mrs. McGregor cooked good meals for them every day, and that they had made wonderful friends in Greenfield. They were happy that so many hungry people had a good Thanksgiving meal at the restaurant.



After all the dishes had been cleaned up and all the guests went home, Henry, Jessie, Violet, Benny, Grandfather, Mr. Grayson, Noreen, and Ms. Matthews sat down to eat their Thanksgiving meal. The food was delicious. Afterward, they ate more of Mrs. McGregor’s pumpkin pie.



“I can’t eat another bite,” said Mr. Grayson. “I am stuffed.”



“Me, too,” said Ms. Matthews.



Benny finished up his second piece of pie. “Listen, everyone!” he said.



The table became very quiet. Everyone listened.



“I don’t hear anything,” Grandfather finally said.



“Neither do I,” said Henry.



“I know!” cried Benny. “I don’t hear anything either. My stomach has finally stopped growling!”



Everyone laughed.



“It is a good feeling to know that no one in Greenfield will have to have a growling stomach tonight,” Ms. Matthews said. She raised her glass to toast Mr. Grayson.



“Thank you,” Mr. Grayson said. “But I could never have done it without the Aldens.”



Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny were very tired. Their arms ached from all the platters of food they had carried out of the kitchen all night long. But they had helped to feed many hungry people. They raised their glasses of apple cider.



“To our best Thanksgiving ever,” Henry said.



Jessie, Violet, and Benny smiled and clinked their glasses with Henry’s. “To our best Thanksgiving ever!”