Encyclopedia Brown Cracks the Case

by Donald Sobol

  Mrs. Sweeney’s shoulders slumped. Mrs. Monarch watched a whip-poor-will fly by and imitated its lonesome song with a sigh.

  The thief had rifled through Mrs. Monarch’s drawers and her jewelry box. “Has anything else been taken?” Chief Brown asked.

  Suddenly, about a hundred butterflies took to the air flapping their wings in alarm.

  “No, just my butterfly brooch,” Mrs. Monarch chirped. “I blame myself. I never should have talked to that newspaper reporter.”

  Encyclopedia noticed Officer Rand’s powerful flashlight underneath the bedroom window. A large branch was within his reach. Encyclopedia shook it back and forth and shined the flashlight on the tree. Suddenly, about a hundred butterflies took to the air flapping their wings in alarm.

  “I’d do anything to get my brooch back,” Mrs. Monarch said. “Should I offer a reward?”

  “We’ll send notices to all the jewelry stores in the state,” Chief Brown said. “When the thief tries to sell the pin, we’ll catch him.”

  “That won’t be necessary, Dad,” Encyclopedia said. “I know who has the brooch.”

  WHO WAS THE THIEF?

  (Click here for the solution to “The Case of the Missing Butterfly Brooch.”)

  The Case of the Counterfeit Dough

  The morning of the Idaville Cookie Bake-off, Joey Perkins, Encyclopedia’s classmate, walked into the Brown Detective Agency.

  “I need your help,” he said, placing a quarter on the red gasoline can. “I have three recipes for chocolate-chip cookies. I want to hire you to tell me which one is best.”

  “You can pay me to eat your cookies anytime,” Encyclopedia said.

  Sally agreed. “But what are you worried about?” she asked. “You’re sure to win the bake-off this year.”

  Joey’s cookies had come in second to Christina Vargas’s three years in a row in the twelve and under class. But Christina had turned thirteen in June. No one else’s sweet treats would come close to Joey’s in a taste test.

  “There’s a new twelve-year-old baker in town, Mary Macaroon,” Joey said. “Her cousin is one of the judges, and she’s tough. My cookies have to be perfect.”

  “I heard that this year’s first prize is fifty dollars, and the winning recipe will be printed in a cookbook,” Sally said.

  Joey nodded. “I’ve always dreamed of having my recipes published.”

  He placed a plate with six cookies on the workbench—three cookies for each detective. Then he handed them water bottles so that they could rinse their mouths after tasting each one.

  The detectives munched on the delicious cookies, carefully rinsing their mouths after each taste.

  “Yum,” said Sally, “they’re all delicious.”

  “What’s this in cookie number two?” Encyclopedia asked. “A hint of cinnamon?”

  Joey shook his head with a grin. “It’s a secret,” he said. “I won’t tell.”

  “They’re all winners,” Encyclopedia said. “But I like cookie number two best.”

  Sally took another bite of cookie number three. Then she tasted cookie number two again. “Cookie number two it is,” she said.

  “I sure hope I win this year,” Joey said, picking up his plate and heading down the driveway. “I want a first place ribbon and my cookie recipe in that cookbook!”

  “We’ll be there to cheer you on,” Encyclopedia said.

  “Good luck!” Sally called after him.

  Later that afternoon, Encyclopedia and Sally biked to the high school. The bake-off was being held in the school’s kitchen. Four tables were set out for the contestants in the twelve and under category. Each table held flour, sugar, butter, eggs, chocolate chips, and a few spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

  Encyclopedia and Sally watched Joey measure his ingredients carefully and mix his cookie dough.

  Two of the contestants—Emily Drew and Michael Esposito—each seemed to be making more of a mess than a cookie. Flour flew when Michael tried to mix his dough, sprinkling the judges and making them sneeze.

  Mary Macaroon looked like a serious challenger. She even wore an official chef’s hat and apron.

  “Fashion doesn’t win bake-offs,” Sally said with a sniff.

  But Encyclopedia noticed that she whisked her eggs and creamed her butter and sugar like a pro.

  Joey was the first to slide his cookie sheets into the oven, followed by Mary. Soon the smell of baking cookies filled the room. Encyclopedia’s mouth watered.

  Ten minutes later, four oven timers buzzed, one after the other. As soon as all four trays of cookies were on the table, the judges took out their clipboards. They stopped at Michael Esposito’s table first.

  Each of the three judges carefully chewed one of his cookies, making notes about the crispness of the baked dough or the sweetness of the chocolate. When all three were finished, an assistant handed them glasses of water. The judges swished water around their mouths and then swallowed.

  “They’re clearing their taste buds for the next cookie,” Sally remarked.

  The judges went through the same routine with Emily Drew’s cookies. Then they stood in front of Mary Macaroon.

  “They’re taking extra bites of Mary’s cookies,” Sally noticed. “They must be good.”

  “Not too good, I hope,” Encyclopedia said, watching closely. “Getting his recipe published is Joey’s dream.”

  The judges finished with Mary’s cookies and motioned for the assistant to bring them fresh water. They rinsed their mouths and emptied their glasses. Judge number two filled her glass again. Then all three stepped in front of Joey’s table.

  Joey nervously chewed on his lip. He watched the judges pick up his cookies. His mouth opened and closed with theirs as they each took a bite.

  The judges coughed and sputtered. One spit Joey’s cookie into a napkin. Judge number two quickly downed her water as the assistant rushed forward with filled glasses for the other judges.

  Joey’s face fell in dismay. He took a bite of one of his cookies, and then spit it out again. “I don’t know what happened,” he cried. “This tastes awful!”

  Encyclopedia stepped forward and took a small nibble. He sniffed the cinnamon on Joey’s table. Then he shook some sugar into his hand and tasted it. “Someone’s substituted salt for your sugar, and red pepper for cinnamon,” he said.

  Joey’s shoulders slumped. “I won’t even be number two this year,” he moaned. “I’ll be last.”

  Encyclopedia turned to the judges. “Can you let everyone start over, with fresh ingredients?”

  “That’s not fair to the other contestants,” judge number two said sternly. “We need to award the prize.”

  “That’s easy for you to say,” Encyclopedia said. “You were the one who rigged the ingredients.”

  HOW DID ENCYCLOPEDIA KNOW?

  (Click here for the solution to “The Case of the Counterfeit Dough.”)

  The Case of the Astronaut Duck

  Encyclopedia and his pal Charlie Stewart had a watermelon-seed spitting contest after lunch. Sally used a tape measure to determine the winner. Encyclopedia was ahead by three inches.

  Suddenly, Moonboy Webster ran by wearing his astronaut helmet.

  Moonboy Webster, whose real name was Austin, was Idaville’s astronaut-in-training. He’d been talking about rocketing to the stars ever since he witnessed his first space shuttle launch. He walked, talked, ate, and dreamed about nothing but outer space.

  “Did you hear?” he called excitedly from the end of the driveway. “There’s a real NASA astronaut right here in Idaville!”

  That got Encyclopedia’s attention. He liked to learn about outer space, too.

  “He’s raising money for a space mission,” Moonboy said. “He’s going to talk at the town hall about being an astronaut!”

  Sally’s eyes lit up. “Let’s go hear him speak,” she said.

  “He’s charging fifty cents,” Moonboy told them. “I just ran home to get my money. The talk starts in
ten minutes.”

  Encyclopedia kept the money he earned from his detective business in a shoe box. He hid the shoe box behind an old tire in the garage. Every Friday, he and Sally took the week’s earnings to the bank.

  Luckily, today was Thursday. There was enough money in the shoe box for the two detectives and Charlie to attend the talk without having to stop at the bank. They walked downtown with Moonboy, who chattered about space.

  “This is more popular than a free trip to the circus,” Sally said, eyeing the long line in front of the town hall.

  The detectives and their friends shuffled forward as one by one kids from all over Idaville handed their coins to a man wearing a NASA T-shirt.

  As soon as the man had collected everyone’s money, he walked to the front of the auditorium and climbed to the stage.

  Moonboy fired questions like rocket boosters from his front-row seat. He was too excited to even wait for the answers.

  “Did you work on the Mars mission?

  “Are moon rocks heavy?

  “Have you ever been to the space station?

  “Is zero gravity really cool?”

  Finally, the astronaut jumped in. “I’ll take questions after my talk,” he said. “But now I want to tell you all about a new space mission. It’s top secret, so I’m only sharing it with you. And you have to promise to keep it that way.” He swept his eyes over all the children in the audience. “Top secret,” he said gravely.

  Moonboy’s eyes got wide. “Top secret,” he whispered.

  Encyclopedia watched the kids around him nod yes as they waited for the astronaut to share his secret.

  Pictures of men in space were projected onto the screen behind him as the astronaut spoke.

  “I’ve gone on many missions for NASA,” he said. “I’ve traveled through space. I’ve conducted experiments on the International Space Station. I’ve even walked in space.

  “Now I’m ready,” he announced solemnly, “to travel to another galaxy. To find planets that no human has ever seen, even through a telescope.”

  A diagram of a spaceship unlike anything the kids had ever seen was shown on the screen. It was round and flat, like a flying saucer, and it had a small pool next to the pilot’s seat.

  “And I will take just one companion as I travel through space.”

  The astronaut took a dramatic pause and reached behind a curtain. A duck wearing a little space helmet waddled onto the stage. There were gasps from the audience. Encyclopedia heard a muffled quack from behind the helmet.

  “An astronaut duck!” Moonboy said, jumping to his feet.

  Other kids in the audience laughed and clapped. No one had ever heard of a duck in space.

  “I could go into a lot of details about aerodynamics and space and how many years of my life will be devoted to this great mission,” the astronaut said, “but I know you all really want to know about this wonderful duck.”

  Encyclopedia raised his eyebrows. “I’ve got to hear this,” he said.

  Moonboy bit his lips to keep from asking the astronaut a million questions.

  A series of pictures continued to flash behind the astronaut as he talked about the duck. “This astronaut duck has been to the moon. He’s been to the space station. He’s even walked in space!”

  Other kids in the audience laughed and clapped. No one had ever heard of a duck in space.

  The astronaut took the duck’s helmet off and a loud quack echoed through the auditorium.

  “I need a volunteer to take care of this brave astronaut duck while I raise money for my mission,” the astronaut said. “There must be one child here who would do this for his country.”

  Moonboy jumped to his feet. But he was surrounded by a chorus of other kids volunteering to take the duck.

  “And, of course, I’ll need a small fee of fifty dollars,” the astronaut said.

  “Fifty dollars!” the kids cried. Most of them sat right back down. But Moonboy stayed on his feet.

  “It’ll take every penny I have saved, but I’ll get the money,” Moonboy said.

  The astronaut seemed relieved and happy, until Encyclopedia got to his feet.

  “Save your money, Moonboy,” he said. “And, you,” he said to the man, “better give us back our fifty cents. You’re not an astronaut. You’re a fake.”

  HOW DID ENCYCLOPEDIA KNOW?

  (Click here for the solution to “The Case of the Astronaut Duck.”)

  The Case of the Lucky Catch

  Encyclopedia and some of the gang were on their way to a picnic. Ace Harvey, a retired major-league baseball player, invited all of Idaville’s Little League teams to his estate near the beach.

  Encyclopedia, Pinky Plummer, Billy and Jody Turner, Herb Stein, Charlie Stewart, and Sally Kimball took the number nine bus. They carried baseballs, gloves, and bats that they hoped Mr. Harvey would autograph.

  “Do you think we’ll get to see the baseball?” Pinky asked.

  No one had to ask what baseball. Ace Harvey had made the most famous catch in baseball history. He made the game-winning catch in the ninth inning of the seventh game of the World Series. Not only did his team win the game, they became world champions with just one catch.

  After the game, he had every single one of his teammates sign his lucky ball. Mr. Harvey had been offered thousands of dollars for his baseball, but he refused to sell.

  “I hope we do get to see the ball,” Billy Turner said. “I’d love to hold it in my hand for just one second. Do you think it would bring me good luck?”

  Everyone knew that Billy’s team had lost a big game when Billy dropped a high fly. Ever since, he didn’t seem to be able to catch a ball. He even dropped the ball when he was pitching! He was in a real slump.

  “You need more than luck,” Jody teased. “You need a new sport.”

  Sally shushed Jody with a look, then turned to Billy. “I hear he keeps the ball locked up in a glass case,” she said. “But maybe just looking at it will break you out of your slump.”

  “Then I’ll look at it until my eyes hurt,” Billy said, ignoring his twin.

  The bus stopped on Mr. Harvey’s corner and the children got off. The friends were suddenly shy when they got a look at Ace Harvey’s mansion. It was one of the biggest in Idaville. Then Encyclopedia rang the doorbell. It played Take Me Out to the Ball Game, and they all relaxed.

  A maid answered and led Encyclopedia and his pals through a center hall toward the backyard. On the way, they passed the glass case. A spotlight shone on the game-winning baseball. The ball turned on its pedestal so that they could see every autograph. Billy stared at it without blinking.

  Then the friends were led to the back door. Ace Harvey shook hands with everyone and signed their balls, bats, and gloves. He waved them into the backyard, which was already filled with kids playing catch on the baseball diamond, splashing in the pool, or eating as many hot dogs and hamburgers as they could fit in their stomachs.

  Mr. Harvey had hired a baseball coach, lifeguards, barbecue chefs, and even a games director to make sure everyone had a good time.

  Billy flopped in the grass next to Encyclopedia and Sally. The detectives had just won a three-legged race.

  “I can’t get my mind off Ace Harvey’s baseball,” Billy said. “Do you think if I asked as a special favor he’d let me hold it?”

  Encyclopedia looked at his friend. Billy had dropped his egg in the egg-carrying contest and there was dried yolk all over his shirt. “You can ask,” Encyclopedia said. “But holding someone else’s baseball won’t break your slump. All you need to get your confidence back is one good catch.”

  “Catch?” Billy groaned. “I can’t catch my reflection in the mirror.” He got to his feet. “I’m going to go and stare at the ball some more.”

  Encyclopedia entered the relay race with Pinky and Charlie, and he forgot all about Billy until he saw two police cars pull into Ace Harvey’s driveway. His father waved and then headed into the house.

  Encycl
opedia went inside to see what was up. Mr. Harvey had a tight grip on Billy’s left arm and was talking to Chief Brown.

  The baseball case was broken. A few bits of glass lay scattered on the pedestal, and the baseball was nowhere to be seen.

  Three officers were searching the rooms on the first floor.

  Billy’s eyes darted from Chief Brown to Mr. Harvey and back again. He held his right hand in front of him, palm up. It was bleeding. He tried not to let it drip on Mr. Harvey’s floor.

  “I found this hooligan in front of the case. The glass was broken and my baseball is gone.” Mr. Harvey said. “He won’t tell me where he hid it, so I called you.”

  “I didn’t take it,” Billy moaned. “I just came in to look at it again, and it was gone. There was glass everywhere. I cut my hand, and then Mr. Harvey came in and started yelling.”

  Encyclopedia heard a gasp behind him. Other kids from the picnic had followed him into the house.

  “He kept saying he wanted to hold that ball,” Charlie muttered.

  “Billy, you didn’t…” Sally said.

  “You can’t trust any friends of brainhead Brown,” Bugs Meany shouted. “Give up the ball, Billy. Tell the cops where it is.”

  “But I didn’t steal it,” Billy said again.

  Chief Brown asked Officer Lopez to take Billy into the bathroom for some first aid. The other officers led the kids back outside.

  “Can I stay, Dad?” Encyclopedia asked.

  His father nodded. “Do you have any information that might help us, Leroy?”

  “I know Billy was in a slump,” Encyclopedia said. “But I don’t believe he’d try to steal Mr. Harvey’s baseball.”

  “Well that’s exactly what he did,” Mr. Harvey insisted. “I found him standing in front of the case with a bleeding hand.” Mr. Harvey shook his head. “He must have hidden the baseball with a plan to come back for it later.

  “It’s a good thing I just insured that baseball,” Mr. Harvey continued. “It’s worth thousands of dollars.”