The Mystery of the Mummy's Curse

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

  “Hi, Pete,” Violet said as she and Jessie joined the others.

  “I was just telling the boys how great it looks in here.” He walked around the room admiring the children’s hard work. “Our regular cleaning and painting crews couldn’t have done a better job.”

  The children smiled proudly.

  “They’ve done a fine job, haven’t they?” Sam said. “Pete, can I talk to you in here for a moment?”

  “Sure,” Pete said. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he told the Aldens.

  The kids knew that Sam was going to talk to Pete about the missing items. They wanted to stay and hear what he planned to do. But it was nearly dinnertime.

  “See you tomorrow,” Henry called over his shoulder.

  CHAPTER 6

  An Overheard Conversation

  The next day, when the Aldens arrived at the museum, they found Sam carrying a large, framed picture into the exhibit hall.

  “What’s that?” Benny asked. The painting showed a group of Egyptian men and women. Their bodies were all turned sideways and looked stiff and angular. The edges of the painting under the glass were jagged and uneven.

  “It’s a painting on papyrus,” she said. “That’s what the Egyptians used since they didn’t have paper. Isn’t it amazing how the colors have lasted for thousands of years?”

  “How beautiful!” Violet said. She loved to paint and always enjoyed looking at artwork.

  “These paintings really make the exhibit complete,” said Sam. “You see, the walls of the Egyptian tombs would have been covered with paintings depicting the dead person’s life.”

  “Did you talk to Pete last night about the missing pieces?” Jessie asked.

  “Yes,” Sam said. “He’s going to have new locks put on the doors and make sure the security guard comes by each night. We’ll catch the thief.” She smiled at Jessie’s concerned face. “Don’t worry so much.”

  “I just wish there was something I could do,” Jessie began.

  “There is,” Sam said. “Help me hang these paintings.”

  The children spent the rest of the morning working with Sam.

  First, Sam selected two maps to be mounted on the wall. One was a map of the world, showing the country of Egypt on the continent of Africa.

  “Egypt is on the other side of the world from our country,” said Violet.

  “It’s near the equator, so it must be hot there,” Henry pointed out.

  The other map showed the outline of ancient Egypt. “What’s that big, blue line?” Benny asked.

  “That’s the Nile River,” said Sam. “It was very important to the Egyptians. Egypt is a desert with very little rain. The people depended on the Nile for water to live and to grow their crops.”

  They hung the two maps right by the entrance to the exhibit.

  Next, they put up an assortment of paintings that showed Egyptians in many different poses: eating, singing, dancing, and driving chariots.

  Other paintings depicted Egyptian gods. They had human bodies and some had the heads of animals.

  Some of the paintings had rows of tiny little pictures. “What are those?” asked Benny.

  “Those are hieroglyphics, a kind of Egyptian writing system,” Sam said. “It was created over five thousand years ago. The pictures might stand for a sound, a letter, or a whole word.”

  Sam and the children stood in the center of the hall and looked around slowly.

  “I’m going to get Pete to come up and see how great it looks,” said Violet.

  “I’ll come with you,” said Benny.

  The two went downstairs to Pete’s office. His door was closed and it looked dark inside. Violet knocked. As the children waited for an answer, they couldn’t help overhearing the conversation in Dr. Snood’s office next door, as his door was open.

  “I’m worried because Ms. Delaney, the director of the Carson City Museum, called again. They’re quite upset over there,” Dr. Snood was saying.

  “What did she say?” the children heard Pete ask.

  “She said the Carson City Museum isn’t happy about working with us on next year’s festival. They feel we stole the Egypt exhibit away from them,” said Dr. Snood.

  Violet and Benny looked at each other, their eyes wide.

  “That’s crazy” Pete was saying.

  “Well, that’s how they feel,” said Dr. Snood. “You know, for the past few years we’ve always worked well with them. That is, before you started here and suggested this exhibit.”

  “Maybe there’s something we can do,” Pete suggested.

  “You work on it,” said Dr. Snood. His voice sounded angry.

  A moment later, Pete emerged from Dr. Snood’s office. His face looked serious until he spotted the Aldens. “Violet, Benny,” Pete said with a smile. “How’s everything going?”

  “We’ve put up all the paintings—want to come see?” Violet asked.

  “I’d love to,” said Pete. He turned back into Dr. Snood’s office. “Reginald, would you like to come see how the Egyptian exhibit is going?”

  “I’ve got to make a phone call,” Dr. Snood said. “Then I’ll come up for a quick look before my lunch meeting.”

  When they entered the exhibit hall a few minutes later, Pete broke into a huge grin. “This looks fantastic. I’m sure Dr. Snood will be pleased when he sees it.”

  Sam, who had been waiting with Jessie and Henry, said, “Oh, is he coming up?”

  “Yes, he said he’d come up for a few minutes before his lunch meeting,” Pete said.

  Sam looked at her watch. “Is it lunchtime already? I’ve got to run.”

  “Can’t you stay a few minutes to talk to Dr. Snood?” asked Pete.

  “No, I’m meeting with the man who’s designing the guide for the exhibit, and it may take all afternoon. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She went quickly into the prep room and grabbed her things. Then she was gone.

  Dr. Snood appeared in the doorway a moment later. He walked slowly around the room, looking at the freshly painted walls, the clean glass cases, and the paintings the children had helped put up.

  “I must admit, it does look nice in here,” he said in a tight voice, as if it were hard for him to say something nice. “And where is Dr. Dickerson?”

  “Sam had to leave in a hurry,” Pete explained.

  “You’d think our expensive Egyptian expert could make time to meet with me. We’re certainly paying enough,” he said. “Why are all the display cases empty?”

  “We just cleaned them yesterday,” Jessie said. “Sam is going to arrange the pieces soon.”

  “So I assume the artifacts are still in the prep room,” Dr. Snood said, heading in that direction.

  Pete turned to the kids. “I think he’s pleased. You’ve done a great job. Why don’t you take the afternoon off, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow.”

  “Okay,” Violet said. The Aldens went into the prep room to get their backpacks.

  Dr. Snood was there, standing beside one of the tables of artifacts. He was holding one of the gold cat statues, turning it slowly around in his hands. He had a dreamy smile on his face, as if he were thinking of something far away.

  As the Aldens watched, he put down the cat and picked up a bright blue sculpture of a hippo. He must have felt the children’s eyes on him, because he suddenly looked up. The look on his face changed abruptly. Now he looked as if he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t be. He quickly put the hippo down.

  “You kids haven’t been touching these, have you?” asked Dr. Snood.

  “No, we—” Henry began.

  “Make sure you don’t,” said Dr. Snood in a stern voice. “And make sure the lid on that coffin stays closed.”

  “Of course—” said Jessie. Before she could say any more, he walked out.

  The Aldens stood still for a moment, stunned by Dr. Snood’s harsh behavior.

  At last Jessie said, “I don’t know which was stranger: the way he was looking at those artifacts
or the way he just spoke to us.”

  “I don’t know, either,” Henry agreed. “I wonder what he was thinking about when we first came in and he was holding the statues.”

  “It was as if he were in another world,” said Violet.

  “And then he got so angry all of a sudden,” said Jessie. “And we would never touch the artifacts!”

  “Maybe Sam told him about the thief and so he’s worried the pieces aren’t safe,” said Henry.

  “He doesn’t seem to trust us much,” Violet said.

  “There was something else, too,” Jessie said. “Did you notice how he called Sam ‘our expensive Egyptian expert’ in that nasty tone?”

  “Sounds as if he’s upset the museum is paying her so much money,” Henry said.

  “Or maybe he’s jealous,” Violet suggested. “Remember, Pete said Dr. Snood used to be a leading expert on Egypt? Maybe he doesn’t like the fact that Sam may know more than he does now.”

  “You guys?” Benny spoke up at last. “Can we go? I want lunch!”

  “Sure, Benny,” Violet said.

  She and Henry picked up their backpacks. But Jessie was still digging around in her backpack when the others were ready to go.

  “What’s the matter, Jessie?” Violet asked.

  “It’s nothing ... I just can’t find ...” She continued to dig in her backpack. At last she stood up, a puzzled look on her face. “It’s not in there.”

  “What’s not in there?” asked Violet.

  “My notebook,” said Jessie. “The one with the list of artifacts.”

  “Are you sure you put it in your backpack?” Henry asked.

  “I think so,” said Jessie.

  “Have you looked at it since yesterday?” Violet asked.

  “No,” Jessie said, still puzzled. It wasn’t like her to lose things.

  “Maybe you left it around here somewhere,” Benny suggested.

  The children spent the next few minutes searching the prep room—under the tables, on Sam’s desk, behind the coffin. Then they moved on to the exhibit hall and looked all over the room. The blue notebook was nowhere to be found.

  “Maybe you left it at home,” said Violet.

  “I don’t think so,” said Jessie. “I didn’t look at it there.”

  Benny frowned. “The mummy’s curse strikes again!”

  CHAPTER 7

  The Feeling of Being Watched

  The next morning, Pete met the Aldens at the door to the prep room. “Sam isn’t here yet, but you can wait for her in there.”

  As Pete headed back down the hall toward the stairs, the children pushed open the door to the prep room. It was dark and quiet inside.

  At the end of the room the Aldens could make out the coffin where the mummy lay.

  For a moment no one said or did anything. The room felt creepy with no one around but the mummy.

  Then Jessie broke the silence. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go in.” She led the way inside and turned on the light. Suddenly it was just an ordinary room.

  “When do you think Sam will get here?” Benny asked.

  “I wish she’d told us what she needed us to do today” said Jessie. “We could have gotten started—we have only two days left until the exhibit opens.”

  “I know what we can work on,” Violet said. “Remember Sam said she was meeting with the person who’s designing the guide for the exhibit? Well, what if we made a special guide for kids?” Violet asked.

  “What do you mean?” asked Jessie.

  “It could give some information about ancient Egypt that kids might like to know,” Violet said.

  “It could explain how they make mummies,” Benny put in.

  “And we could make up some games and activities about the exhibit, too,” Violet added.

  “This is like doing a report on Egypt, only more fan,” Jessie said. “I’ll go down to Pete’s office and see if he has some books we can use for research.”

  “Great idea,” Violet said. “I’ll come with you.”

  When they had left, Benny said, “I’ll make up some games for the guide. I’m good at games.” He looked around the room for a place to sit. It was a small room. Most of it was filled with the tables of artifacts, waiting to be arranged in the display cases. Benny didn’t think it would be right to sit down at Sam’s desk. The little bit of extra space at the end of the room held the coffin. Benny remembered the mummy’s curse and shivered.

  “Why don’t you go in the exhibit hall? You can sit down on the floor in there,” Henry suggested, unlocking the door for his little brother. “I’m going to stay in here and look at the artifacts to get some ideas.”

  “Okay,” Benny said. He pushed open the door to the exhibit hall. There were no windows and it was dark and eerily quiet inside. He felt on the wall for a light switch but didn’t feel any. “Henry?” he called back into the prep room.

  Henry was concentrating on the artifacts and didn’t answer.

  “Henry?” he called again.

  “Yes?” Henry said at last.

  “Where’s the light switch?” Benny asked.

  “It’s over by the main entrance,” Henry said.

  “Oh, okay,” said Benny. All he had to do was walk across the room and turn on the light. But for some reason he felt nervous. He felt as if he weren’t alone in the room, as if someone were hiding in the darkness.

  “This is silly,” he said to himself. “That mummy has me spooked.”

  Benny began walking across the room. As he walked, he again had a strange feeling that someone was watching him. He could feel someone’s eyes on him.

  He stopped walking and looked slowly around. “Hello?” he said, his voice shaky in the large, dark, silent room. No one answered. “Hello?” he called again.

  Benny felt a prickling sensation on the back of his neck. His palms began to sweat.

  He walked quickly to the other door and was relieved when he found the light switch there. He turned it on and looked back around the room. Everything seemed so different in the bright light.

  Benny sat down on the floor with his paper and thought for a moment. Then he began to draw a maze. It was supposed to look like a path through a tomb, and you had to find the mummy at the end.

  But even with the light on, he didn’t feel comfortable. He kept looking over his shoulder, sure that someone, not just a person in a painting, was watching him.

  At last, Benny gave up and went back into the prep room to see what Henry was doing. He came in just as Violet and Jessie were returning from Pete’s office, their arms full of books.

  Henry was standing at one of the tables of artifacts, studying them. He looked upset.

  “What’s the matter?” Jessie asked.

  Henry looked around at all the tables once more before answering.

  “Remember that blue hippo that Dr. Snood was looking at?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Jessie said.

  “I don’t see it,” said Henry.

  The other three walked slowly around the tables. After a moment Jessie said, “You’re right. It’s not here.”

  “Not again,” said Violet, putting down the books she’d been holding on Sam’s desk. “That’s the third piece missing!”

  “Maybe Dr. Snood just put it somewhere else,” Jessie said. “He looked very interested in it.”

  “Yes, maybe that’s it,” Violet agreed.

  “We’ll ask Sam when she comes in,” Henry said. “We’ve got to find those pieces before the exhibit opens, and we’ve got only two days left.” Then he noticed the books that Jessie and Violet had brought up. “It looks like you guys found a lot of books.”

  “We did,” said Jessie. “Let’s go in the exhibit hall and take a look.”

  The Aldens went into the next room and sat down on the floor.

  They each took a book on their laps and began to flip through them. One book had beautiful photographs of pyramids and maps of Egypt. Another book contained pages of hieroglyphics. An
d Benny pulled out a book that told how to make a mummy. “Look at this.” He pointed to a picture of a shriveled body that had been unwrapped from a mummy. “Gross!”

  “But isn’t it amazing that you’re looking at the face of a person who lived thousands of years ago?” Henry asked.

  “I guess so,” said Benny making a face.

  Sam arrived a few minutes later. “Why all the grim faces?” she asked.

  “Bad news,” said Henry. “Another piece is missing. The little blue hippo.”

  The children all hoped that Sam would say something like, Oh, that’s okay. I just put it in a different room. But instead, she said nothing. She looked at the children and then walked into the prep room. The Aldens followed as Sam went from table to table, a worried look on her face. Then she sank down into a chair and buried her head in her hands. Henry stood silently beside her, unsure what to do.

  “This is terrible,” Sam said at last, slowly lifting her head to look at Henry. “When did you notice it was gone?”

  “Just this morning,” said Henry. “I was looking for it because I remembered that Dr. Snood had been holding it yesterday when we left.”

  “Dr. Snood was holding it?” Sam said slowly.

  “Yes,” Henry said.

  “That’s ... interesting,” Sam said.

  “You don’t think he would have put it somewhere, do you?” Henry asked.

  “I don’t know,” said Sam. “I hope that’s the explanation. I’ll have to ask him.” She got up slowly and put her briefcase on her desk. “What have you been working on this morning?”

  “We’re doing a kids’ guide for the exhibit,” Violet said. The children excitedly told Sam all about it.

  “That’s a great idea!” Sam said. “I’ll take a look at it when you’re done, and we can print copies downstairs.” She unloaded some papers from her bag. When she had finished, she said, “I’m going down to speak to Dr. Snood. I’ll see you later.”

  After she’d left, Violet turned to the others. “I hate to think that someone would steal things from the museum.”

  “I do, too,” said Henry. “But what other explanation could there be for the missing pieces?”