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儿童英语读物 The Midnight Mystery CHAPTER 9 The Search Goes On

时间:2017-11-07 06:30来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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The day of the invention convention was getting close. Thanks to Mr. Percy, Alice Putter’s clocks ticked and tocked along. Soon Grandfather and Ms. Putter would be back. The children could hardly wait to show them the new inventions and ask Ms. Putter about the riddle1 book they’d found. They still had one more big job to do — finding Alice Putter’s plan book. They kept on searching as they finished up their last-minute chores.

Jessie sent Violet and Benny out to gather wildflowers to brighten up the house. She and Henry discovered a broom closet full of cleaning tools Alice Putter had designed. Jessie chose a feather duster shaped like a bird and soared around the house, dusting pictures, lamp shades, and Alice’s many sculptures and clocks. Henry grabbed a dust mop that looked like an upside-down creature with a wild head of hair. He roamed through the rooms, mopping up dust and dustballs wherever he found them. Housecleaning had never been so much fun.

The hubbub2 was too much for poor Midnight. She moved out to the toolshed with the spiders. Martha didn’t want Ruff and Tumble underfoot during all the preparations. She shooed them into a fenced area near their doghouse.

In between visiting the penned dogs and finishing their housekeeping, the Aldens did some final tinkering on their own inventions, which they had moved out to the garage.

“How will I show off my rainy-day backpack if the sun’s blazing away?” Henry asked. The sunnier the weather forecast got, the cloudier he became. “I should have invented a hat with drop-down sunglasses or a shower that sprays suntan lotion3.”

“Maybe you should call it a sunny-day backpack,” Jessie teased.

Henry began to laugh. “Okay, okay. No more teasing from younger sisters.”

Thanks to Mr. Percy, Violet had decided4 to enter her jewelry5 arm instead of the crayon saver. He had given her an old music box part, then showed her how to connect it to the wooden hand. Now it played a little tune6 as it slowly turned, displaying the jewelry from all sides.

“Thank goodness Mr. Percy saves old things, too,” Violet said. “Now I’m completely happy with my invention. Maybe I’ll work on my crayon saver and enter it next year.”

“I’m sticking with my hat,” Benny said. “Mr. Percy said it’s just right.”

Jessie was oiling the wheels of her recycling wagon7. To show how it worked, she had filled each of the compartments8 with old newspapers, cans, and bottles. “Yes, Mr. Percy turned out to be nice after all.” She looked at her wristwatch. “I wish we had more time to search for Alice Putter’s plan book. Maybe if we found it, Martha and Ms. Putter would get along better.”

“Where should we look next?” Henry asked.

“In the kitchen,” Benny said. “I want to eat my leftover9 egg salad sandwich. And from there, we can keep an eye on the grandfather clock when it strikes twelve. Maybe something will happen to help us solve the riddle.”

“Good idea,” Jessie said. The Aldens walked toward the house. “It’s fifteen minutes to twelve now. That gives us time to drop off our jackets in our room before the clocks go off. It’s getting warm out.”

The children went through the kitchen, then headed upstairs. When they reached the first landing, they heard the front door open. Looking down, they saw Brad step into the entryway and look around. He set down his canvas tool bag in front of the grandfather clock then opened the glass door of the clock face.

“What’s he doing?” Benny whispered, staring down at Brad.

“Moving the hands ahead!” Henry whispered back. “He’s setting the time to twelve o’clock.”

Just as Henry spoke10, the entryway filled with the long, deep chimes of the grandfather clock.

The Aldens watched Brad in amazement11. As the clock struck twelve, Brad quickly opened the wooden panel on the bottom of the clock with no trouble at all. The panel blocked the children’s view. Was Brad putting something in the clock or taking it out? By the time the chimes ended, he’d closed the panel, then zipped his tool bag shut.

The Aldens looked at one another, wondering the same thing. How had Brad managed to open the bottom of the clock? Brad checked his watch. Reaching up, he quickly moved back the big hand eight minutes.

The clock now matched the others in the house. Brad picked up his tool bag and left. “The riddle!” Henry whispered. “Now I remember it.

“When the moon’s at twelve o’clock,

Pounce12 upon the stroke,

The time to act is at the chime,

When day and night run out of time.”

“That’s it!” Jessie said. “When the clock strikes twelve, the secret panel can be opened. Alice Putter made the clock with a built-in hiding place, then wrote a riddle explaining how to open it!”

“But what was Brad putting — or taking from — inside?” Benny wondered.

Jessie looked at her watch. “In eight more minutes, we can find out,” she said. “I bet we can open that panel at noon, too.”

Before the children could move, the front door opened again. Martha entered with the dust mop and a carrier full of cleaning supplies. She dusted areas that had already been dusted and mopped parts of the floor that had already been mopped. The whole time, she mumbled13 some words the Aldens couldn’t hear. Every few seconds, she looked up at the clock.

When real noon arrived, the children nearly jumped at the sound of it. The whole house filled with birdsongs, cuckoos, chimes, and gongs.

Despite the happy racket, the Aldens focused on Martha. They saw her open the glass part of the clock. She ran her fingertips around the edges.

“Maybe she’s trying to figure out how to open it,” Jessie said. She didn’t even have to whisper, since the clocks were so noisy. “Whatever the trick is, she doesn’t know it.”

Martha then tried to move the grandfather clock from the wall. It was much too heavy to budge14.

At one minute past twelve, silence filled the house again. Martha picked up the carrier of supplies so roughly the feather duster fell out. She pushed open the front door, letting it slam as she marched down the steps. The feather duster lay in front of the clock like a bird that had fallen from its nest.

The Aldens were alone in the house. Noon had passed. They were a little closer to figuring out the secret of the grandfather clock. Something had been in there. Maybe it was in there now. Standing15 silently, the children looked at the smiling moon face.

“I wouldn’t dare move the hands back the way Brad did,” Henry said.

Violet nodded in agreement. “Mr. Percy said all of Alice Putter’s clocks are very delicate.”

“We’ll have to find another way to figure out what Brad Smithy is keeping in there,” Jessie said. She picked up the feather duster from the floor. “Or taking out.”

Early that evening, during their light supper of tomato soup and crackers16, the children heard footsteps in the entryway. Two figures appeared in the doorway17. Grandfather and Isabel Putter had returned.

One by one the children hurled18 themselves into Grandfather’s arms.

“You’re back!” Jessie cried. “We’ve been so busy, the time flew by. But we still missed you.”

Isabel stepped into the sparkling kitchen. “I noticed what a beautiful job you did setting up the displays in the library and living room — and under the canopy19 tents as well. I couldn’t have done a better job myself.”

After all the hugs were over, Benny took a piece of chocolate fudge from the box Grandfather had brought for everyone. “Yum. This is almost as good as the fudge we make with Mrs. McGregor. Now I’m full.” He set down his empty milk glass.

“Our car is full, too,” Grandfather told the children. “We collected several Alice Putter clocks and sculptures from the people who are lending them to Isabel to display during the convention. Wait until you see how beautiful they are.

Benny couldn’t sit still any longer. “Know what we found?” he asked, jumping from his seat.

“Grandma Alice’s plan book?” Ms. Putter asked in a hopeful voice.

“Almost,” Benny said. “I found an old book with drawings and riddles20 for somebody’s grandchildren. Only we’re the grandchildren who read them!”

Isabel looked happy and surprised. “Oh, wonderful! Grandma Alice and Martha’s grandfather wrote and illustrated21 many little books for us. They both liked silly rhymes, and both were wonderful artists. Sometimes they would hide something and make up a riddle to help us find it. Only the riddles could be very difficult, even for grown-ups. Where’s the book?”

The children glanced at one another. It didn’t seem like the right time to tell Isabel what they’d seen and overheard at the Red Rooster diner.

“Martha took it for safekeeping,” Jessie said.

Isabel sighed. “Well, I can’t look at it right now, anyway, we’ve got so much unpacking23 to do. Come see the treasures your grandfather and I brought back to put on display.” She led the way to the car.

“Whoa!” Henry said when Grandfather opened the trunk and car doors. “This looks like a moving van from a museum.”

“Oh,” Violet breathed when Grandfather opened a crate24 and pulled out a wooden clock packed in straw. “That is the prettiest clock of all!” she said.

The children came over to admire the piece. In place of numbers were carved vegetables. A woodchuck pushed the minute hand and a rabbit chased the hour hand.

Isabel carefully wound the clock. When the large hand struck the hour, bells rang. “I was quite surprised when I saw it. Unlike Grandma Alice’s other work, I’ve never seen any photographs or drawings of it. It’s very old-fashioned, the way clocks used to be long ago. No batteries, just lovely ticking and tocking.”

At the sound of the bells and Isabel’s voice, Ruff and Tumble began to howl.

Benny ran over and released them. They came running to Isabel, overjoyed that she was back.

Hearing all the yipping and commotion25, Martha came out of the garage. “Those dogs are supposed to be locked up. Oh, Isabel. You’re back.”

Isabel stood up from petting the dogs. “Yes, James and I came back with a treasure trove26 of Grandma Alice’s work. We’re about to unpack22 the crates27 and put the pieces on display in the entryway of the house, separate from the inventions.”

Martha peeked28 into the crates. “How do you know for sure that your grandmother designed all these pieces? They’re painted in more than one style.”

Isabel sighed. “We’ve had a long day, Martha. There really isn’t any time to discuss this right now. I see you have the registration29 binder30. How many inventions are registered now?”

“Forty-five,” Martha said. “Forty-six if you count Brad Smithy’s. He’s still working on his, so I don’t have the paperwork yet.”

Isabel pushed back a strand31 of hair that had gotten loose from her bun. “Oh, my. Last year, he had the paperwork but not the invention. Now he doesn’t have either. Well, he sure seems determined32.”

Jessie and Henry exchanged a meaningful glance.

“Yes,” murmured Henry, “but determined to what?”


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 riddle WCfzw     
n.谜,谜语,粗筛;vt.解谜,给…出谜,筛,检查,鉴定,非难,充满于;vi.出谜
参考例句:
  • The riddle couldn't be solved by the child.这个谜语孩子猜不出来。
  • Her disappearance is a complete riddle.她的失踪完全是一个谜。
2 hubbub uQizN     
n.嘈杂;骚乱
参考例句:
  • The hubbub of voices drowned out the host's voice.嘈杂的声音淹没了主人的声音。
  • He concentrated on the work in hand,and the hubbub outside the room simply flowed over him.他埋头于手头的工作,室外的吵闹声他简直象没有听见一般。
3 lotion w3zyV     
n.洗剂
参考例句:
  • The lotion should be applied sparingly to the skin.这种洗液应均匀地涂在皮肤上。
  • She lubricates her hands with a lotion.她用一种洗剂来滑润她的手。
4 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
5 jewelry 0auz1     
n.(jewllery)(总称)珠宝
参考例句:
  • The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
  • Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。
6 tune NmnwW     
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整
参考例句:
  • He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子,并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
  • The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
7 wagon XhUwP     
n.四轮马车,手推车,面包车;无盖运货列车
参考例句:
  • We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
  • The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。
8 compartments 4e9d78104c402c263f5154f3360372c7     
n.间隔( compartment的名词复数 );(列车车厢的)隔间;(家具或设备等的)分隔间;隔层
参考例句:
  • Your pencil box has several compartments. 你的铅笔盒有好几个格。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The first-class compartments are in front. 头等车室在前头。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 leftover V97zC     
n.剩货,残留物,剩饭;adj.残余的
参考例句:
  • These narrow roads are a leftover from the days of horse-drawn carriages.这些小道是从马车时代沿用下来的。
  • Wonder if that bakery lets us take leftover home.不知道那家糕饼店会不会让我们把卖剩的带回家。
10 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
11 amazement 7zlzBK     
n.惊奇,惊讶
参考例句:
  • All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
  • He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
12 pounce 4uAyU     
n.猛扑;v.猛扑,突然袭击,欣然同意
参考例句:
  • Why do you pounce on every single thing I say?干吗我说的每句话你都要找麻烦?
  • We saw the tiger about to pounce on the goat.我们看见老虎要向那只山羊扑过去。
13 mumbled 3855fd60b1f055fa928ebec8bcf3f539     
含糊地说某事,叽咕,咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话,可我没太听清楚。
  • George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。
14 budge eSRy5     
v.移动一点儿;改变立场
参考例句:
  • We tried to lift the rock but it wouldn't budge.我们试图把大石头抬起来,但它连动都没动一下。
  • She wouldn't budge on the issue.她在这个问题上不肯让步。
15 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
16 crackers nvvz5e     
adj.精神错乱的,癫狂的n.爆竹( cracker的名词复数 );薄脆饼干;(认为)十分愉快的事;迷人的姑娘
参考例句:
  • That noise is driving me crackers. 那噪声闹得我简直要疯了。
  • We served some crackers and cheese as an appetiser. 我们上了些饼干和奶酪作为开胃品。 来自《简明英汉词典》
17 doorway 2s0xK     
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径
参考例句:
  • They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
  • Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。
18 hurled 16e3a6ba35b6465e1376a4335ae25cd2     
v.猛投,用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 );大声叫骂
参考例句:
  • He hurled a brick through the window. 他往窗户里扔了块砖。
  • The strong wind hurled down bits of the roof. 大风把屋顶的瓦片刮了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
19 canopy Rczya     
n.天篷,遮篷
参考例句:
  • The trees formed a leafy canopy above their heads.树木在他们头顶上空形成了一个枝叶茂盛的遮篷。
  • They lay down under a canopy of stars.他们躺在繁星点点的天幕下。
20 riddles 77f3ceed32609b0d80430e545f553e31     
n.谜(语)( riddle的名词复数 );猜不透的难题,难解之谜
参考例句:
  • Few riddles collected from oral tradition, however, have all six parts. 但是据收集的情况看,口头流传的谜语很少具有这完整的六部分。 来自英汉非文学 - 民俗
  • But first, you'd better see if you can answer riddles. 但是你首先最好想想你会不会猜谜语。 来自辞典例句
21 illustrated 2a891807ad5907f0499171bb879a36aa     
adj. 有插图的,列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • His lecture was illustrated with slides taken during the expedition. 他在讲演中使用了探险时拍摄到的幻灯片。
  • The manufacturing Methods: Will be illustrated in the next chapter. 制作方法将在下一章说明。
22 unpack sfwzBO     
vt.打开包裹(或行李),卸货
参考例句:
  • I must unpack before dinner.我得在饭前把行李打开。
  • She said she would unpack the items later.她说以后再把箱子里的东西拿出来。
23 unpacking 4cd1f3e1b7db9c6a932889b5839cdd25     
n.取出货物,拆包[箱]v.从(包裹等)中取出(所装的东西),打开行李取出( unpack的现在分词 );拆包;解除…的负担;吐露(心事等)
参考例句:
  • Joe sat on the bed while Martin was unpacking. 马丁打开箱子取东西的时候,乔坐在床上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They are unpacking a trunk. 他们正在打开衣箱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
24 crate 6o1zH     
vt.(up)把…装入箱中;n.板条箱,装货箱
参考例句:
  • We broke open the crate with a blow from the chopper.我们用斧头一敲就打开了板条箱。
  • The workers tightly packed the goods in the crate.工人们把货物严紧地包装在箱子里。
25 commotion 3X3yo     
n.骚动,动乱
参考例句:
  • They made a commotion by yelling at each other in the theatre.他们在剧院里相互争吵,引起了一阵骚乱。
  • Suddenly the whole street was in commotion.突然间,整条街道变得一片混乱。
26 trove 5pIyp     
n.被发现的东西,收藏的东西
参考例句:
  • He assembled a rich trove of Chinese porcelain.他收集了一批中国瓷器。
  • The gallery is a treasure trove of medieval art.这个画廊是中世纪艺术的宝库。
27 crates crates     
n. 板条箱, 篓子, 旧汽车 vt. 装进纸条箱
参考例句:
  • We were using crates as seats. 我们用大木箱作为座位。
  • Thousands of crates compacted in a warehouse. 数以千计的板条箱堆放在仓库里。
28 peeked c7b2fdc08abef3a4f4992d9023ed9bb8     
v.很快地看( peek的过去式和过去分词 );偷看;窥视;微露出
参考例句:
  • She peeked over the top of her menu. 她从菜单上往外偷看。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • On two occasions she had peeked at him through a crack in the wall. 她曾两次透过墙缝窥视他。 来自辞典例句
29 registration ASKzO     
n.登记,注册,挂号
参考例句:
  • Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
  • What's your registration number?你挂的是几号?
30 binder atUzh     
n.包扎物,包扎工具;[法]临时契约;粘合剂;装订工
参考例句:
  • The cloth flower snaps on with a special binder.这布花是用一种特殊的粘合剂固定住的。
  • Purified water was used as liquid binder.纯净水作为液体粘合剂。
31 strand 7GAzH     
vt.使(船)搁浅,使(某人)困于(某地)
参考例句:
  • She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。
  • The climbers had been stranded by a storm.登山者被暴风雨困住了。
32 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的;有决心的
参考例句:
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
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