Encyclopedia Brown sets the pace
Page 3
(Turn to page 85 for the solution to 'The Case of the Crowing Rooster/')
THE CASE
OF THE
BUBBLE GUM
SHOOTOUT
ENCYCLOPEDIA AND SALLY WERE strolling through South Park when they chanced upon Cephas Keefer.
Encyclopedia liked Cephas, though the little fourth grader had a temper like gunpowder. When it exploded, he would do battle with anyone. Usually he overmatched himself.
At the moment, Cephas lay all alone in the shade of a banyan tree. He appeared to be giving himself mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN SETS THE PACE
His cheeks were puffing and unpuffing, his Hps were puckering and unpuckering, and he was making noises like a wounded hippopotamus.
"Oh, dear/' Sally said anxiously. ''I think he's been punched out again." She hurried to Cephas and asked, "Who did it?"
"Nobody," Cephas answered calmly. He puffed a final puff. "Fm just warming up the old lips."
"For what?" inquired Encyclopedia. "To go three rounds with an air hose?"
"Uh-uh," said Cephas. "I've got a bubble gum shootout with Malcolm Nesbit at noon." He glanced at his wristwatch and jumped to his feet. "I better hurry."
A bubble gum shootout did not happen every day in Idaville, and so the detectives went along. Cephas, who strutted with confidence, explained how the shootout had come about.
It had begun a year ago at a baseball game. Cephas and Malcolm were in the outfield. They chased a long fly ball into some bushes and found a beautiful ten-speed bicycle hidden there.
When the two boys were unable to find the owner, they took the bike to the police station. Officer Carlson told them that if no one claimed the bike in a year, it was theirs. The
The Case of the Bubble Gum Shootout
year had ended yesterday, and the bike was still unclaimed.
"I guess I've been bragging too much about what a great bubble gum blower I am/' confessed Cephas. "Malcolm said he could pick anyone—even a perfect stranger—and put him against me. That made me boiling mad. I dared him to try."
"If you defeat the stranger, the bike is yours?" asked Sally.
"Yup," Cephas replied. "And if I lose, the bike is Malcolm's. But I'll win. I'm made for bubble gum. I have the lungs of a lion, the tongue of a cobra, and—"
"The temper of a jackass," Sally said. "Be thankful Encyclopedia is here to keep you from being cheated. Malcolm is tricky. He likes to eat his cake and have yours, too."
At the west end of the park, Malcolm was waiting. He greeted Cephas and smiled coolly at the detectives.
"Now I'll choose your opponent from among perfect strangers," he said to Cephas.
He ambled a hundred feet to a brick path and spoke with several passersby. Encyclopedia could not hear what was said. The passersby laughed, shook their heads, and strolled on.
After many minutes, Malcolm brought back
ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN SETS THE PACE
a blonde girl of about fifteen.
"Meet our volunteer, Teresa Byrnes/' he said.
"This is far out, wild," Teresa said. "I haven't blown bubble gum in years."
She set the brown paper bag she had been carrying carefully on the ground. "My lunch," she remarked offhandedly.
Malcolm handed Cephas and Teresa three pieces of gum each. While he went over the rules. Encyclopedia and Sally edged close to the brown paper bag.
"What's inside?" Sally whispered.
Encyclopedia peered in. "A small jar of peanut butter with a screw-on top," he answered, "and a package of paper napkins."
The shootout consisted of three events. "Whoever wins two is the victor," Malcolm declared. He gave Sally a tape measure and grandly appointed her the judge.
The opening event was to blow a bubble while somersaulting. Cephas went first and blew a four-incher.
Teresa applauded and refused her turn. "No, thanks," she protested with a laugh. "I'd break my neck."
After only one bubble, Cephas was halfway to winning the bicycle!
The Case of the Bubble Gum Shootout
The second event was to blow two or more bubbles at once. Cephas failed on his first attempt. So did Teresa.
On his second attempt, Cephas got out two small bubbles. Suddenly Teresa was all business. She worked the gum in her mouth deliberately, unhurriedly—and blew three bubbles.
"Wow!" she bellowed. "What luck! What luck!"
It was one victory apiece.
The third and deciding event was blowing for size.
Cephas had lost a little of his confidence. He did not glance at Teresa as he took a deep breath and gathered himself together.
A thin tip of pink appeared between his lips and grew steadily into a bubble. It grew and grew until it hid his face. Gently, as if it were a ball of hammered lace, he pulled the bubble free and held it for Sally to measure. Twelve inches!
"I don't know how I did it," he gasped. "I never blew one that big before, and I had a head wind."
Teresa seemed doomed to defeat. Yet she did not look worried. She chewed her gum slowly and worked it against her front teeth.
The Case of the Bubble Gum Shootout
She took her time.
The bubble appeared, growing faster than Cephas's had. It seemed ready to burst at any second. Then all at once the huge pink beauty was in her hand.
Sally measured it. Twelve and a half inches!
Malcolm grinned triumphantly at Cephas. "A perfect stranger beat you/' he crowed. "The bike is mine."
"It is not," said Encyclopedia. "You cheated."
HOW?
(Turn to page 86 for the solution to 'The Case of the Bubble Gum Shootout/')
THE CASE
OF THE
BOY JUGGLER
EXCITEMENT HAD GRIPPED ENCY-clopedia's neighborhood for weeks. Talent scouts for a new television program, Young America, were coming to Idaville to hold try outs!
One of Encyclopedia's closest pals, Fangs Liverright, had been practicing an act in secret. He refused to talk about it. He would say only that he did ''jaw and juggle."
On the great day, Encyclopedia and Sally went to the civic auditorium to watch Fangs
ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN SETS THE PACE
perform. As they entered the lobby, a tall woman narrowly missed bumping into Sally.
The woman wore a yellow dress and carried a yellow suitcase. She hurried on without a word.
The detectives looked around for Fangs. They found him bending over a water fountain.
'Thanks for coming/' he said. '1 can use the support."
"We'll clap like a family of seals/' Encyclopedia said.
Sally gazed around at the other contestants. "Aren't you a bit young?" she asked Fangs. "Everyone else is a teen-ager."
"I don't expect to win today/' Fangs said matter-of-factly. "I'm after experience. I want to go to college free."
"Roll that past us one more time/' requested Encyclopedia.
"If I'm satisfied with my juggling today/' Fangs said, "I'll work on it during the next seven years so I can get a scholarship."
"Colleges don't give scholarships for juggling/' Sally protested.
"Boy, are you ever out of it," Fangs said. "These days colleges hand out scholarships for anything."
ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN SETS THE PACE
He lowered his voice. ''Wait'U you see my secret act. I juggle three apples and take bites in midair. At the end Tm juggling three apple cores."
'Wow!" cried Encyclopedia. "That's core-dination!"
"The hard part is working with objects of unequal weight," Fangs said. "You have to use different force. But having a pair of front teeth like mine is an advantage."
"Switch to candy apples and you'll win a scholarship to Harvard or Yale," Sally said.
"I want to go to Oberlin," stated Fangs.
A man in a white sport jacket came onto the stage. He announced the start of tryouts.
"The acrobats are first," Fangs said. "The
n come the dancers and jugglers. I'd better begin loosening up."
He excused himself and went into the cloakroom. The first pair of acrobats had completed their turn when he emerged. He was pale.
"M-my apples are gone," he stammered in disbelief. "I've searched everywhere. Somebody stole them!"
The detectives pressed him for more information. All he could tell them was that he had carried his apples into the auditorium in
The Case of the Boy Juggler
a small, dusty yellow suitcase that he'd found that morning in the attic. He had put the suitcase on a shelf in the cloakroom twenty minutes ago.
''A woman with a yellow suitcase left as we came into the auditorium/' Sally said.
"Did the suitcase have a zipper?" asked Fangs.
Sally thought a moment. "No, it had clasps."
"Then it wasn't mine," Fangs said.
"Can't you get more apples?" inquired Encyclopedia.
"There isn't time," answered Fangs. His expression hardened. "Besides, I'd rather find the dirty thief. And when I do. ..." His lip curled above his powerful front teeth.
"Button up," cautioned Encyclopedia. "How many other jugglers are in the tryouts?"
"Two," answered Fangs. "Archie Longmire and Claire Foss."
"Archie and Claire are afraid Fangs might outclass them," declared Sally. "They have the most to gain if he can't perform. Let's question them."
Encyclopedia was not nearly so eager as Sally to jump into the case. Archie Longmire was a warm and friendly tenth grader who juggled plates. Claire Foss was only thirteen,
ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN SETS THE PACE
but she was sturdy, and as warm and friendly as an iceberg kissing an ocean liner. She juggled bowling balls.
Fangs spotted Archie and Claire standing together in a corner of the auditorium. Sally marched straight up to them.
"Fangs came here with his juggling equipment in a suitcase/' she said. ''Now the suitcase is missing."
"Gee, that's a shame," Archie said. "Will he be able to go on?"
"You know I won't!" blurted Fangs.
"I'm sorry," Archie said. "But I never saw him with a suitcase."
"Me, neither," said Claire. She scowled at Encyclopedia. "Are you accusing anyone?"
"No, no, no," replied Encyclopedia as fast as he was able. "We thought you might help us find the thief. Did you notice anyone leaving with a small suitcase?"
"Heck," said Archie. "Kids with suitcases and shopping bags have been coming and going all morning."
"Then we'll have to comb every inch of the building," Encyclopedia said heavily. "The suitcase is old and dusty, and the thief is certain to have left fingerprints."
"Wait a second," said Claire. "Now that I
The Case of the Boy Juggler
think about it, I did see someone suspicious. A woman in a bright yellow dress was leaving in one big hurry as you came in. She had a suitcase!"
''I saw her, too," said Archie. "She was in an awful rush. She nearly bumped into Sally. And she had a yellow suitcase like Fangs's."
"That wasn't my suitcase," Fangs said. "Mine has a zipper."
Sally turned to Encyclopedia. "It'll take us a week to search all the rooms in the building," she said. "We're not even sure if the thief hid the suitcase or made off with it."
"Why don't you ask the thief?" suggested Encyclopedia.
WHO WAS THE THIEF?
(Turn to page 87 for the solution to 'The Case of the Boy Juggler/')
THE CASE
OF THE
PRACTICAL
JOKERS
SUNDAY ENCYCLOPEDIA AND SALLY took the number 9 bus to the farmlands north of town to visit Lucy Fibbs. Lucy was training her pet hog, JuHus Caesar, to be the strongest hog in the world.
As they got off the bus, the detectives saw Julius exercising. Lucy's poodle led the hog by a leash and was setting a fast pace along a cornfield.
"Roadwork builds up Julius's muscles," Lucy said after she had greeted the detec-
ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN SETS THE PACE
tives. "I don't want him to be just bacon/'
Sally whistled. "Who'd believe a little dog could run a big hog!"
"I've taught Julius to obey simple commands," Lucy said proudly. "I want him to be smart, too."
The poodle and Julius drew up beside Lucy. She patted both animals and undid the leash.
"Julius is only eight months old," she said. "I'm bringing him along slowly, but already he can pull seven tons."
"Wait till he reaches his full growth," Encyclopedia murmured.
"He'll pull fifteen tons easily," asserted Lucy. "He's tremendous—a once-in-a-lifetime hog."
She led the detectives up the dirt road toward the house. Julius trotted by his pal, the poodle, and oinked contentedly.
Three tall youths were on the side lawn. Encyclopedia recognized them: Conrad Benton, Morris Purvey, and Andrew Wagner. They were sons of neighboring farmers.
Lucy said, "They stop by to check on Julius. But one of them is too interested. I think he's the person who tried to steal Julius last night. He was scared off by the poodle's barking."
Suddenly she put a finger to her lips and
The Case of the Practical Jokers
whispered, "They love practical jokes. Watch."
Conrad was lying on his back, apparently asleep. Morris was kneeling at Conrad's feet, tying his shoelaces together. Andrew had sneaked up behind Morris.
Andrew struck a match and lighted several other matches that he had planted between the sole and upper part of Morris's shoe. As Morris finished tying Conrad's laces together, the flames burned to the matchheads in his own shoe and flared.
Morris screamed, "Yikes!" and hopped in pain. Conrad, startled, leaped up, tried to take a step, and tumbled over his bound feet. Andrew roared with laughter.
''Morris will have some blister," observed Encyclopedia.
"I don't like practical jokes," Sally said disgustedly.
Morris did a one-legged turkey trot for several minutes before he tried his weight on the wounded foot.
"Why is Andrew's clothing wet?" asked Encyclopedia.
"I'll show you," Lucy answered and took the detectives to the rear of the house. The porch was puddled with water.
"I'm alone in the house today," Lucy said.
The Case of the Practical Jokers
"A little while ago, Andrew came into the house and asked for a drink. While he was inside, either Morris or Conrad balanced a plastic bucket of water above the screen door."
''When Andrew came out, kaplum!" Sally said.
"He swore he'd get even," Lucy said. "The three boys don't like one another very much."
"What about the attempt to steal Julius last night?" asked Encyclopedia.
"I've laid a trap for the thief," Lucy replied. "I made up a record of Julius's diet in a little black book. This morning, I showed each boy where I keep it."
"Was that wise?" Sally asked.
"The book is a fake," Lucy said. "Julius will eat anything. I just give him a lot of it."
Encyclopedia smiled. "You expect the boy who failed to steal Julius to try to steal the book and develop a Hercules hog of his own."
"When he tries to snatch the book, I'll catch him!" said Lucy.
She walked into the living room to fetch the book and show it to the detectives. It was gone!
"The thief must have sneaked in while I answered the telephone a few minutes before you arrived."
ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN SETS THE PACE
Encyclopedia went looking for clues. On the bare hall floor he found a faint set of wet footprints. They led from the rear door to the carpet of the living room and back.
"Crazy!" exclaimed Sally. "They look like the thief walked in mittens!"
"His socks had holes through which his big toes stuck out," Encyclopedia explained.
"He must have taken off his shoes on the wet porch so as not to make any noise," Lucy said.
"All we have to do
is search each boy and find the book and two naked toes," Sally declared.
"Suppose they won't let us?" asked Lucy.
"You're right, they're too big," Sally replied. "So . . . we'll just have to be sure of our man first."
"The thief might be Andrew," Lucy said.
"Right," Sally said. "There's something wrong with his story about getting soaked by the bucket. How did he keep his matches dry enough to give Morris a hot foot?"
"Sorry," Lucy said, "I have to tell you that he borrowed the matches from me after he got soaked."
"That makes Morris our man," Sally said, though hesitantly. "Look how quietly he
The Case of the Practical Jokers
sneaked up on Conrad. He's light-fingered, too. He tied Conrad's shoelaces together without waking him."
''Maybe Conrad wasn't really asleep," Lucy pointed out. "He could have been acting to make us believe he'd been sleeping when the book was stolen."
Sally grunted helplessly. "This case beats me. What do you think. Encyclopedia?"
"I think," said the detective, "that we can safely accuse—"
WHOM?
(Turn to page 88 for the solution to 'The Case of the Practical Jokers.")
THE CASE
OF THE
MARATHON
RUNNER
CICERO STURGESS, IDAVILLE'S GREAT-est child actor, staggered into the Brown Detective Agency and fell on his face.
Encyclopedia and Sally rushed to his side. As they stooped to aid him, Cicero jumped up and grinned.
''I fooled you!" he cried.
'Tou're not hurt?" Sally said. "What's the big idea?"
"The marathon race tomorrow," Cicero answered. "It will launch my stage career
ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN SETS THE PACE
nationwide. Think of the pubUcity! Ten-Year-Old Actor Proves His Grit!' "
Sally gasped in astonishment. "YouVe entered the Idaville marathon?"
"Every step/' Cicero replied. "When I collapse at the finish line, 111 be the center of attention."
He went into his finish-line act again, lurching like a man dying of the bends.