Mrs. McGregor was making a list for the Alden children to take to the grocery store. “Anything else?” she asked.
“Cereal!” cried Benny Alden. “You didn’t forget the Silver Frosted Stars, did you?”
Mrs. McGregor looked at the grocery list. “No, I didn’t, Benny. Your favorite cereal is right at the top of the list.”
She handed the list to fourteen-year-old Henry Alden. He folded it and put it in his pocket.
“I just need two more silver stars from inside the cereal boxes,” Benny said. “Then I can send away for my very own silver star detective’s badge.”
Twelve-year-old Jessie Alden laughed. “We know, Benny,” she said.
Violet, who was ten, smiled at her six-year-old brother. “Even if you don’t find a star inside the cereal, you’ll find a prize, won’t you, Benny?” she asked.
Benny nodded. Then he said, “If it is a really good prize, maybe I will give it to Grandfather for his birthday.”
The others laughed. Their dog, Watch, who was curled up on his dog bed near the door, stood up. He wagged his tail and barked.
“No, Watch, you can’t come with us,” Henry said. “We’re riding our bikes and it is too hot for you to run alongside.”
“But we’ll bring you a present,” Benny promised. He petted the dog on the head.
“Yes. A brand-new col —” Jessie began, but Benny stopped her.
Benny put his hands over Watch’s ears. “Shhh! It’s supposed to be a surprise! You have to keep your lips zipped!” Benny pretended he was zipping his lips shut.
“Right,” said Jessie, and pretended to zip her own lips shut, too.
Saying good-bye to Mrs. McGregor and Watch, the Aldens got on their bicycles and rode through the streets of Greenfield to the grocery store downtown.
In the cereal aisle of the grocery store, Benny went straight to the Silver Frosted Stars. He studied all the boxes closely. He took each box off the shelf and gave it a gentle shake. Finally, he said, “This is a good box.” He put the cereal in the shopping cart.
Henry pushed the cart a little way down the grocery aisle.
“Wait!” said Benny. He held up two more boxes. “These are good boxes, too.”
He looked hopefully at his brother and two sisters. “We could get three boxes of Silver Frosted Stars,” he said. “I promise to eat all three.”
“Oh, Benny! Three boxes?” said Jessie.
But Violet, who always liked to be helpful, said, “I could help you eat the cereal, too, Benny.”
Henry and Jessie exchanged glances. Henry said, “I guess I could eat a few bowls of Silver Frosted Stars.”
“Me, too,” Jessie agreed.
“Hooray!” cried Benny, and he skipped happily to the shopping cart to add two more boxes of his favorite cereal.
The moment they had left the grocery store, Benny opened one of the boxes of cereal. “Look!” he cried. “A silver star! Now I only need one more to send away for my special detective’s badge.”
“Good for you, Benny,” Henry said as he and Jessie loaded grocery bags into the baskets of the bicycles. “But you can’t open any more boxes of cereal until you finish that one.”
“I’ll start right now,” Benny said. He took a handful of cereal from the box and began to eat it.
“No milk, Benny?” asked Violet.
Benny grinned. “It tastes good this way, too!” he assured her.
They walked along Main Street, past the hardware store and the bookstore. Outside the bakery, Benny stopped and pointed. “Look at that cake,” he said.
“It’s a beautiful cake,” said Jessie.
Benny put the box of cereal back in the bag in one of the bicycle baskets.
“It’s a birthday cake,” said Henry. “A cake like that would be nice for Grandfather’s birthday.”
Violet said, “Mrs. McGregor could make a cake like that, especially if we helped.”
“With a cake like that, you need a party,” said Jessie.
The four Aldens looked at one another. Then Henry said, “Is anyone else thinking what I’m thinking?”
“A party!” Benny crowed. “We can have a party for Grandfather’s birthday.”
“A surprise party,” Jessie said. “Let’s make it a big surprise.”
Violet said, “We can invite Soo Lee and Cousin Alice and Cousin Joe.”
Everyone began to talk at once. They were so excited that they almost forgot about Watch’s surprise.
Then Jessie said, “Oh, dear. We just passed the pet supply store!”
They turned their bikes around and walked them back to the pet store. They parked their bikes outside and went in.
Benny and Violet chose a new red collar for Watch and even ordered him a new tag with his name and address and phone number on it. As they walked out of the store, Benny said, “It’s too bad the tags aren’t shaped like stars. Then Watch could be a detective, too.”
Ahead of Benny, Jessie stopped so suddenly that Benny bumped into her.
“Ow!” said Benny.
“Look out!” Henry said.
“Police! Stop! Stop, thief!” they heard a voice cry. |