The Mystery at the Fair

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

  The majorettes joined the band as they marched in and out of several formations.

  “Look,” Benny said. “They’re spelling out something. G-R-E-E-N-F-I-E-L-D.”

  “That spells Greenfield!” Michael said.

  “That’s right,” Jessie said as she smiled at the two little boys.

  The Greenfield marching band finished their performance with another lively tune; then they marched over to one side of the arena and continued to play.

  The band was followed by several contest officials who were riding in a horse-drawn wagon. The judges waved to the crowd as the wagon circled the arena. A livestock display was the last event. Grown-ups and children slowly walked their horses, cows, sheep, and pigs around and around the arena. The band played another tune and then the grand opening was over. The mayor walked to the center of the arena and picked up the microphone again.

  “Thank you all again for coming to the Greenfield County Fair,” the mayor said. “I have just a few announcements. The baked goods competition begins at 12:30. The craft competition begins at 1:30. Tomorrow morning at 10:00 A.M. will be the grand opening of the livestock show. Then the art competition will began at 1:00 P.M. Welcome again, one and all, and let’s have a good time at the fair!”

  Immediately after the mayor finished her announcements, hundreds of balloons were released from the ceiling.

  “We’d better hurry over to the baked goods tent,” Henry said. “I want to get a front row seat.”

  “Me, too,” Courtney said. “This is so exciting. I’m glad you told us about the fair.”

  CHAPTER 6

  The Competition

  When the children arrived at the baked good competition, a large crowd was gathered outside the tent. Many people were yelling, and the judges were trying to calm down the crowd.

  “I wonder what’s wrong,” Jessie said.

  “There’s Susie,” Violet said. “Maybe she knows.”

  The children worked their way through the crowd until they reached Susie’s side.

  “Hi, Susie,” Jessie said. “Do you know what’s going on here?”

  “I’m not sure,” Susie said. “But I think something happened to the baked goods that were entered in the competition.”

  “Oh, no,” Benny said. “What happened to our pie?”

  “Did someone eat it?” Michael asked.

  “I don’t think so, Michael,” Henry said. “Look, there are the judges. I think they’re going to explain what happened.”

  The three judges whispered among themselves for a while. Then, one of them stepped forward. He held up his hands to quiet the crowd.

  “Folks,” the judge began, “I have some sad news about the baked goods competition. It seems that someone has deliberately damaged most of the contest entries. Out of a total of seven entries, two cakes and three pies were damaged.”

  “Oh, no,” someone who was standing behind Violet said. Violet turned around. She came face to face with Kristie Stephens and her mother.

  “I can’t imagine why anyone would do such a thing,” Violet said. “Can you?”

  Kristie stared at the ground. Her face was beet red.

  “Attention, please, everyone,” the judge said. “The contest officials have asked me to announce that they are offering a reward. Fifty dollars will be given to anyone who provides information leading to the identity of the person or persons who have been damaging the property and entries in the Greenfield County Fair.”

  “I certainly hope that my lemon cake wasn’t damaged,” Mrs. Stephens called out. “I worked very hard on the frosting.”

  “I’m sure all the contestants worked hard on their entries,” the judge said. “We apologize for this awful turn of events. Unless we think of something quickly, the contest will have to be canceled.”

  The Aldens and Courtney and Michael began to whisper among themselves. Then Jessie raised her hand. “We have an idea that might work,” she said.

  “Yes,” the judge said. “What’s your suggestion?”

  “Maybe the contest could be for the best-tasting baked goods. No matter how they look,” Jessie said.

  “That’s a great idea,” the judge said, smiling. “The contest will be judged on taste alone. The appearance of the baked goods will not matter. Let’s start the competition!”

  The crowd began to applaud. The judge threw open the tent flaps to let everyone in.

  As the crowd filled the stands, the children gathered around the display table. Someone had poked holes in the boys’ blueberry pie.

  “Look at our pie,” Benny said sadly. “Why would anyone do something so mean?”

  “We’ll probably never win now,” Michael said.

  “Don’t worry, boys,” Courtney said. “You heard the judge, looks don’t matter anymore. Let’s go find a seat so the judges can start the contest.”

  The children found seats in the bleachers. Henry leaned over to talk to Jessie.

  “I think I know who might have done this,” Henry whispered to Jessie.

  “Who?” Jessie whispered back.

  “Look over there by the entrance to the tent,” Henry said. “It’s that man in the baseball cap again.”

  Jessie nudged Violet when she spotted the man in the baseball cap. He was looking in their direction.

  “I see him now,” Violet said.

  “What are you looking at?” Courtney asked.

  “The man who was asking us so many questions the other day is standing near the front of the tent,” Jessie explained.

  “He always seems to show up when trouble’s around,” Violet said.

  “Let’s talk about this later. The contest is about to begin,” Henry said.

  Each judge picked up a plate and a fork. They gathered around pie number one, cutting it into small slices, and each one took a bite. Then they whispered among themselves and wrote something down on a clipboard.

  “I don’t think they liked it that much,” Michael whispered.

  “How can you tell?” Benny asked.

  “They didn’t lick their forks,” Michael said.

  Then the judges sampled Mrs. Stephens’s lemon cake. It had not been damaged. The cake was beautifully frosted and it looked especially nice compared to the other entries. The judges cut slices of the cake, tasted it, and discussed it in whispers. One judge began to smile.

  “They seem to really like Mrs. Stephens’s cake,” Violet said.

  “Wait a minute,” Jessie said. “Now they’re cutting the blueberry pie.”

  The judges lingered near the pie, whispering among themselves. Then they tasted the pie again!

  “They like it!” Benny said.

  The judges made notes on their clipboard. Then they moved down to Susie’s cherry pie. It was the only other entry that hadn’t been damaged. The judges tasted the pie and made a few notes. Then they huddled together for a few moments, talking and waving their hands.

  After a while, one of the judges stepped up to the microphone and read from his clipboard.

  “The winner of the Greenfield County Fair Baked Goods Competition is entry number six! Henry and Benny Alden and Michael Jenkins. They will share the $25 First Prize! Will the winners please come over to the awards stand!”

  “Hooray!” Jessie shouted as the boys walked up to the front of the tent.

  Courtney and Violet hugged each other and clapped their hands. The crowd broke out in a round of applause.

  He gave a beautiful trophy to Michael and a blue ribbon to Benny. Then the judge presented the envelope to Henry.

  “Here’s the prize money,” the judge said. “Congratulations.”

  “Thank you all very much,” Henry said.

  “Thank you,” Michael said as he admired the trophy.

  “Thank you,” Benny said. “This was fun.”

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” the judge announced. “The judging of the crafts will begin at 1:30. Please join us there.”

  The crowd began to slowly file out of the
tent. One of the judges also started to leave. When Mrs. Stephens saw him, she pushed her way through the crowd.

  “Mr. Judge,” shouted Mrs. Stephens. “I’d like to have a word with you. This contest was not held in accordance with the rules. My cake should have received extra points for looking so good.” She followed the judge, talking loudly and waving her hands excitedly.

  “Oh, no,” Courtney said. “Mrs. Stephens is at it again.”

  “I wonder where Kristie is,” Violet said. “She was here before the contest started. I saw her when I was eating lunch but then she disappeared.”

  “That’s strange,” Jessie said. “You’d think she’d want to be here since her mother was part of the competition.”

  “This whole contest has been very peculiar,” Violet said.

  The girls hurried over to congratulate the prizewinners.

  “Now, you see,” Jessie said as she hugged Benny. “I told you that pie was a prizewinner.”

  “Congratulations, boys,” Courtney said.

  “I’m proud of all of you,” Violet said.

  “Thank you,” Benny said. “Can we eat the rest of the pie now?”

  “Of course,” the judge said with a laugh. “I think I’ll have another piece myself. That’s one of the best blueberry pies I have ever tasted.”

  “You seemed to enjoy Mrs. Stephens’s lemon cake, too,” Henry said.

  “No, I was very disappointed by that cake,” the judge said.

  “Why?” Violet asked. “It looks so pretty.”

  “Yes, it is a beautiful cake,” the judge agreed. “But it tastes awful. This blueberry pie isn’t very pretty, but it tastes wonderful!”

  Everyone laughed. The judge cut a slice of pie for each one of them.

  “We’d better go now,” Jessie said when everyone finished eating. “The crafts contest will be starting soon.”

  The children arrived at the crafts tent a few minutes before the contest started. Mrs. Stephens was talking to the judge. She had Susie’s rag rug in her hand.

  “As you can see,” Mrs. Stephens said as she pointed to the rug, “a sewing machine was used to make these stitches. The rules state that every entry in the crafts competition must be handmade or hand-sewn. I have a copy of the rules right here.”

  “I know the rules,” the judge said. He examined the rug. Then he called for Susie to come forward. Susie talked with the judge for a few moments. She looked very upset. She folded her rug and ran out of the tent.

  “I’m going to see if she’s all right,” Jessie said.

  “We’ll save you a seat,” Henry said as the other children began to climb up the bleachers.

  Jessie found Susie sitting outside on a bench.

  “What’s the matter, Susie?” Jessie asked. “Why are you taking your rug out of the competition?”

  “Mrs. Stephens had me disqualified because I used a sewing machine!” Susie said. “I didn’t even know about this rule. I’m so disappointed. I was hoping that my rug would win that event.”

  Suddenly, Jessie noticed the man with the baseball cap. He was staring at them and writing something in a small notebook.

  “There’s that man again,” Jessie said.

  “Who is he?” Susie said. “I saw him at the pie contest, too.”

  “I wonder what he’s up to now,” Jessie said. “He always seems to be around whenever there’s some trouble.”

  The man glanced at the girls and quickly walked in the other direction.

  “I’m sure it’s just a coincidence,” Susie said. “You better go now. The contest will be starting soon.”

  “Maybe you’ll have better luck with your painting,” Jessie said. “It’s lovely.”

  “Thanks,” Susie said. “It’s my last chance to win.”

  Jessie returned to the tent and explained what had happened to Susie.

  “How awful,” Violet said. “She must have really worked hard on her rug.”

  “I think we’d better check our necklace and earrings,” Courtney said. “After everything that’s happened today, I’m afraid someone may have been up to more mischief.”

  Courtney reached the exhibit table first. She picked up one of the earrings. It seemed to be fine. But when Jessie picked up the necklace, the beads began to slip off.

  “Oh, no!” Courtney said. “Someone has cut through the wire that holds the necklace together.” She held the jagged ends of the necklace up so that Jessie could see them.

  “What are we going to do,” Jessie said as she reached for the missing beads. “The contest starts in five minutes!”

  “I know what we can do,” Violet said. “I have a miniature sewing kit in my purse. Maybe we can string the loose beads together with thread.”

  “It’s worth a try,” Courtney said.

  “Here’s the sewing kit,” Violet said. “I’ll go and explain what happened to the judge. Maybe they can delay the contest for a few moments.”

  Violet talked to the judges. They nodded as she told them what had happened. One judge, a lady in a large flowered hat, addressed the crowd.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” the judge announced. “The contest will be delayed for five minutes. Please remain seated. Thank you.”

  Courtney and Jessie frantically worked on the necklace.

  “I’m sure glad Violet had this sewing kit,” Jessie said, as she strung the last bead.

  “Me, too,” Courtney said.

  “Good as new,” Jessie said as she held up the newly repaired necklace. “I’ll take it back to the exhibition table.”

  The contest finally began. The judges slowly examined each one of the crafts entries. Courtney and Jessie held their breath when they reached the necklace and earrings.

  “I hope that thread holds,” Courtney whispered to her friend.

  “I’m sure everything is going to be just fine,” Jessie said. But she still looked worried.

  CHAPTER 7

  Trouble at the Fair

  After the judges looked at all the craft entries, they huddled together for a long time. The judge with the flowered hat and a tall judge seemed to disagree on something. They walked back to Mrs. Stephens’s needlepoint pillow and examined it closely. Then they moved down to the African necklace and earrings. They picked up the earrings. The beads sparkled in the light.

  “Oh, my goodness,” Courtney whispered to Jessie. “What if they pick up the necklace again and it breaks?”

  “We tied it pretty tightly,” Jessie whispered back. “I’m sure the knots will hold.”

  “Look at Mrs. Stephens over there,” Violet said. “She’s just as nervous as we are.”

  Mrs. Stephens was seated in the front row. She was twisting a lacy handkerchief tightly in her hands. Her eyes followed the judges’ every move. Kristie was seated beside her. She patted her mother on the arm.

  The judges went back and forth between the pillow and the jewelry for a few minutes. Finally, the third judge stepped forward to the microphone.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” the judge said. “We appreciate your patience. Unfortunately, the judges have not been able to reach a unanimous decision on the winner of the crafts contest. As you know, there can only be one winner in each category. At the present time, the judges have narrowed their choices down to the needlepoint pillow, submitted by Mrs. Kathy Stephens, and the African necklace and earrings, submitted by Jessie Alden and Courtney Jenkins.”

  Jessie and Courtney smiled at each other.

  “I’m so excited for you both,” Violet whispered.

  “According to the contest rules, no ties are allowed,” the judge continued. “We are asking for a thirty-minute recess while we privately examine each entry. Afterward, we will consult with a contest official and re-tally all the points. We’d appreciate it if everyone would exit as quickly and as quietly as possible. Thank you again for your patience. Enjoy the fair.”

  Everyone began filing out of the tent and into the bright sunshine.

  “Well, I never,”
Jessie heard Mrs. Stephens say. “All this waiting and we still don’t know who the winner is.”

  “Mother,” Kristie replied. “The judges just need a little more time in order to reach a decision.”

  “Well, nothing has been done properly during any of these competitions,” Mrs. Stephens said. “It’s simply not fair. I’m not going to put up with losing again just because these judges don’t know the rules.”

  “Why don’t we get something to eat while we’re waiting?” Kristie suggested. “It might make you feel better.”

  “All right,” Mrs. Stephens said. “But after this event I’m going to go talk to the contest official. Something has to be done about these rules.”

  Jessie couldn’t hear anything else because Kristie and her mother were soon lost in the crowd. Henry tapped her on the shoulder.

  “Jessie, everybody’s sitting over there,” Henry said. He pointed to the other children who were seated underneath a tree.

  “I’m sorry,” Jessie said. “I was listening to Mrs. Stephens. She’s really upset about the competition.”

  “One mysterious thing after another has happened at this fair,” Henry said. “Tonight let’s see if we can put our heads together and find out why.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Jessie said. “I know that there must be a reason for all this trouble.”

  “Maybe we can all try to think of every suspicious thing we’ve seen and heard while we’ve been here,” Henry suggested. “Then we might be able to solve this mystery.”

  Henry and Jessie ran to join the other children. They were trying to decide what to do while they waited for the judges’ decision.

  “Let’s enter the sack race!” Benny said. “That was fun last year.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Jessie said. “I love the sack races.”

  “Do they give prizes for the sack race?” Michael asked.

  “No,” Violet said. “It’s just for fun.”

  “Let’s go!” Benny said.

  The sack races were held in a large field next to the fair rides. Several children were already gathered around a pile of empty potato sacks.