儿童英语读物 The Mystery in the Snow CHAPTER 15 The Solution

“Now I’ve just learned that the ice at the rink has been ruined. But we’re not going to cancel anything,” Mr. Mercer said. Then he announced a new schedule. The ice-carving judging would be postponed¹. A crew was hosing the ice, and the skating competition would take place when it was ready. Sledding would be moved into its time slot.

“My message to whoever caused the trouble is this,” Mr. Mercer concluded. “It won’t work. Snow Haven² Lodgers³ never quit!”

Everyone cheered.

Henry and Jessie were on their feet, ready to go.

“Come on,” Henry urged Violet and Benny. “Let’s go back to the cabin.”

“But I haven’t finished my cake,” Benny protested.

Jessie pulled a paper napkin from the holder⁴ in the center of the table. “Wrap it in this,” she said, “and bring it with you.”

Grumbling⁵, Benny did as he was told.

Henry and Jessie raced through the lounge with Violet and Benny trailing along behind.

Outside, Violet asked, “Why are we in such a hurry?”

“We have a new suspect,” Henry told them.

“Not another one,” Benny groaned⁶. “There are already too many.”

“But this might be the right one,” Jessie said.

They wouldn’t say another word until they were settled back at the cabin with a fire burning in the fireplace.

Then, Henry said, “So far the clues have pointed⁷ to Freddy and Pete.”

“And all of us,” Jessie added.

“Watch, too,” Benny put in.

“We know it wasn’t Watch or us,” Violet said.

“It looks as if it wasn’t Freddy or Pete either,” Henry said.

Violet and Benny couldn’t stand the suspense⁸. “Then who was it?” they both asked.

“Violet, remember what you said?” Jessie asked. “That it might be someone we hadn’t even thought about?”

Violet nodded.

“Well, you were right,” Jessie said.

“It’s the last person we would have thought,” Henry added. He paused to let that sink in.

“Don’t tell me it was Mr. Mercer!” Benny exclaimed.

They all laughed.

“No, no, Benny,” Henry said. “Jessie and I think it was…Jimmy.”

“Jimmy?” Benny repeated.

“But why?” Violet said.

Henry glanced at Jessie.

“Don’t look at me, Henry,” she said. “I don’t have the answer to that question.”

“We’ll leave the why till last,” Henry decided⁹. “Maybe it’ll come to us as we answer the other questions.”

“What made you think of Jimmy in the first place?” Violet wanted to know.

“He asked Mr. Mercer to cancel the ski race at breakfast,” Henry explained, “but not even Matt knew his skis were missing until after lunch.”

“The only way Jimmy could have known is if he took them,” Violet concluded.

“What about our snowpeople?” Benny asked. “Freddy came late for supper. She had time to smash them.”

“Jimmy was late, too,” Jessie remembered.

“There’s the ice sculpture,” Violet said.

They fell silent trying to figure out when and how Jimmy could have done that.

Suddenly, Benny knew the answer. “The pail!” he said.

They looked at him curiously¹⁰.

“Don’t you remember? We were going for a snack and Jimmy came along carrying a pail.”

“That’s right,” Jessie said. “He told us he’d found it by your snow sculpture, Benny.”

“But Alan and Debbie brought our pails back to the kitchen,” Benny said. “I’m sure of it.”

“Jimmy must have carried hot water in it,” Henry concluded. “He probably poured it on the ice castle to melt it.”

“There’s still the ice rink,” Jessie reminded them.

“Everyone was too busy today to do much skating,” Henry said. “Jimmy could’ve chopped up that ice any time.”

“He left the ski hill after his turn,” Benny said. “He probably did it then.”

“Before he melted the castle,” Jessie added.

“What about the missing keys?” Violet asked.

“And the flat tires?” Benny added.

“I’m not sure about those things,” Henry said. “Jimmy did have the chance to do them, but — ”

“That’s right!” Benny interrupted. “Mr. Mercer said he parked the truck by the ice rink. Jimmy went skating that morning — before breakfast!”

“The keys disappeared the first day,” Violet said. “Jimmy could have taken them when he signed the guest book.”

They decided to take a break from thinking. Jessie got out their homemade cookies and poured juice. Benny unwrapped his cake. They ate in silence.

Finally, Violet said, “I guess we’ve answered all the questions.”

“Except the most important one,” Henry responded. “We still don’t know why he did it.”

Jessie nodded her agreement. “The only person who knows the answer to that is Jimmy.”

“Well, then,” Benny said, “we’ll have to ask him.”

1 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

2 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

3 lodgers   

n.房客，租住者( lodger的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He takes in lodgers. 他招收房客。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A good proportion of my lodgers is connected with the theaters. 住客里面有不少人是跟戏院子有往来的。 来自辞典例句

4 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

5 grumbling   

adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的

参考例句：

• She's always grumbling to me about how badly she's treated at work. 她总是向我抱怨她在工作中如何受亏待。
• We didn't hear any grumbling about the food. 我们没听到过对食物的抱怨。

6 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

8 suspense   

n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑

参考例句：

• The suspense was unbearable.这样提心吊胆的状况实在叫人受不了。
• The director used ingenious devices to keep the audience in suspense.导演用巧妙手法引起观众的悬念。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。