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儿童英语读物 The Mystery in the Fortune Cookie CHAPTER 9 Spies Everywhere!

时间:2017-11-08 06:40来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

The next afternoon, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny took a break from puzzling over the rebus1 clue. After swimming in the pond near their aunt’s house, they sat in their bathing suits near the water’s edge and talked about the mystery “You really think Martin’s the famous author?” Benny was saying. He held out his cracked pink cup while Violet poured lemonade from a big thermos2.

“I don’t really know, Benny,” Violet said. “It’s just a guess.”

“That would explain why Martin got so upset at the bookstore,” Henry said. “You know, when the customer said Drum Keller’s mysteries weren’t worth the paper they’re printed on.”

Violet nodded. “It would also explain Martin’s comment at the coffee shop. When he was on the phone, I mean.”

“What did he say again?” Benny looked confused.

Violet smiled at her little brother. “He said, ‘Don’t forget, you’re dealing3 with Drum Keller.’ ”

Benny nodded. “Now I remember.” He paused and frowned. “I wonder who was on the other end of the phone.”

“I haven’t the slightest idea.” Violet tucked the thermos into her backpack. “This whole Drum Keller mystery is very odd.”

Jessie sat quietly, thinking hard. She wrapped her arms around her knees. Something about the name Drum Keller was still bothering her, but she couldn’t figure out what.

Benny took a big gulp4, polishing off his lemonade. “If Martin is Drum Keller, why is he leaving these fortunes for Dottie?”

Henry dipped his toes into the cool water. “Maybe to keep her busy,” he guessed. “You know, distract her so she won’t notice that he’s trying to steal her half of the bookstore.”

Benny nodded as he crunched5 into an apple.

Henry continued with his theory. “People think Drum Keller disappeared because of money,” he reminded them. “If Martin is Drum Keller, then money’s very important to him.”

“So Martin, also known as Drum Keller, is trying to steal Dottie’s half of the bookstore so he can make more money?” Violet asked. “But ... why is Auntie Two helping6 him?”

The Aldens were silent. No one had an answer.

Jessie spoke7 up. “There’s another possibility.”

Benny was instantly curious. “What is it, Jessie?”

“Maybe there is somebody else who knows the truth about Martin,” she said. “Somebody who’s trying to warn Dottie.” Jessie pushed her damp hair behind her ears. “Maybe that person is leaving the strange messages.”

“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that,” Violet exclaimed.

It made sense. What better way to hint at Martin’s secret identity than by hiding a mystery in a fortune cookie? After all, Drum Keller wrote a whole series of fortune cookie mysteries, didn’t he?

“Then it’s got to be Lucy who left those messages,” put in Benny, who was still convinced the waitress was behind everything. “She was talking to Angela at the ice cream parlor8 about somebody’s secret identity. Remember? Maybe Lucy and Auntie Two are trying to warn Dottie about Martin.”

“I have a hunch9 we won’t know what’s really going on,” Jessie said, “until we figure out the rebus puzzle.” Reaching for her backpack, she dug into a zippered10 pocket and pulled out the little white slip of paper.

“Maybe it’ll make sense this time,” Benny said hopefully.

They took turns studying the fortune again — first Violet, then Benny, then Henry, and finally Jessie. On the second time around, Violet noticed something. “I’m no expert,” she said, “but I think the bird in this drawing is supposed to be a loon11.”

The others crowded around to take another look. “What makes you think so, Violet?” asked Jessie.

“Well, for one thing, check out the bill — it’s dark and pointed12.” Violet had an artist’s eye for detail. “And look at the white stripes on the neck.”

“Good detective work, Violet,” said Henry.

“But how does a loon fit in with the other drawings?” Benny wanted to know.

“I think I have that figured out,” Jessie said with a big smile. “If you put the pictures of the cow and the loon together, you get — ”

“Kowloon!” everyone cried out in unison13.

The children looked at one another, their faces glowing with excitement. Then Benny suddenly caught his breath. “Auntie Two!” he cried. “I bet that’s what the drawing of the two ants is all about.”

“Good thinking, Benny.” Henry gave his little brother a pat on the back. “Looks like the rebus is telling us something about Auntie Two Kowloon.”

“But ... what?” Violet wondered.

“Let’s take it one drawing at a time,” Henry suggested. “We figured out the first part of the rebus. Now let’s study the rest of it.”

Jessie frowned a moment. “The barbells come next.” She pointed to the miniature drawing.

“And then the number 4,” added Benny. “And the letter U.”

Violet grinned. “That’s the easy part, Benny,” she told him. “4U means for you.”

Benny gave his forehead a smack14. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

“But what about the barbells?” wondered Jessie.

“Hmm.” Henry tapped his chin thoughtfully. “People lift weights to build muscles.”

“Oh, Henry!” cried Violet. “That’s it!”

“What?”

“The rebus is saying, ‘Auntie Two Kowloon waits for you’!”

The Aldens sat in stunned15 silence for a moment. Had they come full circle? Were the clues leading them back to the Kowloon Restaurant, where the mystery had started?

“What now?” Benny asked the others.

There was a long silence. Finally, Henry spoke up.

“Let’s find out what this is all about,” he said, pulling himself to his feet.

“How will we find out?” asked Benny.

“I think it’s time to ask Auntie Two a few questions.”

Everyone agreed Henry’s idea was a good one. “Aunt Jane has some errands to run in town,” Jessie remembered. “I’m sure she won’t mind if we tag along.”

Aunt Jane didn’t mind at all. After an early dinner of cold chicken, corn on the cob, and leftover16 potato salad, they set off for Elmford. “Maybe the solution to this mystery is very simple,” Aunt Jane suggested as they turned onto the highway. “Maybe it’s just a game. You know, a way to entertain customers.”

“You mean a sales gimmick17?” Benny asked.

“Exactly,” said Aunt Jane, looking surprised that Benny knew about sales gimmicks18. “Maybe it’s just a way for Auntie Two to attract customers.”

The Aldens were quiet for a while as they considered this. Finally, Henry said, “No, this isn’t just a sales gimmick, Aunt Jane. There’s more to it than that.” He sounded very sure.

Aunt Jane slowed the car to a stop in the parking lot.

“Don’t worry, Aunt Jane,” Benny said, scrambling19 out of the car. “We’ll get to the bottom of this mystery. Right, Henry?”

“You bet,” Henry said. Then he added honestly, “At least, we’ll do our best.”

Aunt Jane glanced at her watch. “I’ll get my errands done, then join you at the Kowloon Restaurant,” she said, then hurried away in the opposite direction. The children quickly made their way to Main Street.

While they waited at the corner for the light to change, Benny asked the others, “What do you think the fortune means about an answer to a rhyme?”

Jessie threw up her hands. “That’s a good question, Benny.”

Violet recited the words on the fortune aloud. “For an answer to a rhyme,/ Friday evening is the time.”

“Well, it’s Friday evening,” Henry pointed out as they drew near the Kowloon Restaurant. “Maybe the answer isn’t far away.”

Jessie nodded. “I have a feeling Drum Keller isn’t far away, either.” They all went inside.

At the doorway20 to the crowded dining room, the Aldens stopped in surprise. “Isn’t that Dottie and Martin?” asked Benny. His brother and sisters nodded.

Sure enough, the owners of The Underground were sitting at a table in the corner. The children quickly stepped out of sight. “Don’t you think that’s strange?” Benny demanded, his hands on his hips21. “They were just here a few nights ago.”

“Well, it is Dottie’s favorite restaurant,” Violet pointed out. “And isn’t this the night of the concert? Maybe Dottie and Martin stopped in for a bite to eat first.”

Jessie peeked22 around the doorway again, trying not to stare. She didn’t like the idea of spying on anyone. In this case, though, she felt they were doing it for a good cause. “Look at Auntie Two over there. She’s watching Dottie and Martin from behind that potted plant.” Everyone looked.

Violet’s eyebrows23 shot up. “What’s that all about?”

“I don’t know,” said Benny. “But she’s close enough to hear everything they’re saying.”

“If you think that’s odd,” Jessie added in a hushed voice, “Lucy seems to be keeping a close eye on them, too.”

They all looked over to where the young woman in the white apron24 was dashing from table to table, taking orders and refilling water glasses. Every few seconds she would glance at the table in the corner where Dottie and Martin were deep in conversation.

The Aldens turned to one another in bewilderment. It seemed as if the more they watched, the more confusing it became. Before they could begin to figure out what was happening, Violet said, “Look! Martin just signaled to Auntie Two.”

The children stared at Auntie Two as she stepped out from behind the potted plant and walked straight to the table in the corner. The owner of the Kowloon Restaurant held out a small plate with a fortune cookie on it. Smiling, Dottie reached out, broke the fortune cookie in half, and removed the little white slip of paper.

Benny grabbed Jessie’s hand when Dottie cried out, “Oh — oh, my!”


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 rebus ATAxZ     
n.谜,画谜
参考例句:
  • A picture of a cat on a log is a rebus for catalog.谜画中有一只猫(cat)站在一块木头(a log)上,谜底是catalog(目录)。
  • Most people know a sort of puzzle called rebus.大多数人都知道有一种称为画谜的猜谜。
2 thermos TqjyE     
n.保湿瓶,热水瓶
参考例句:
  • Can I borrow your thermos?我可以借用你的暖水瓶吗?
  • It's handy to have the thermos here.暖瓶放在这儿好拿。
3 dealing NvjzWP     
n.经商方法,待人态度
参考例句:
  • This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
  • His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。
4 gulp yQ0z6     
vt.吞咽,大口地吸(气);vi.哽住;n.吞咽
参考例句:
  • She took down the tablets in one gulp.她把那些药片一口吞了下去。
  • Don't gulp your food,chew it before you swallow it.吃东西不要狼吞虎咽,要嚼碎了再咽下去。
5 crunched adc2876f632a087c0c8d7d68ab7543dc     
v.嘎吱嘎吱地咬嚼( crunch的过去式和过去分词 );嘎吱作响;(快速大量地)处理信息;数字捣弄
参考例句:
  • Our feet crunched on the frozen snow. 我们的脚嘎吱嘎吱地踩在冻雪上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He closed his jaws on the bones and crunched. 他咬紧骨头,使劲地嚼。 来自英汉文学 - 热爱生命
6 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
7 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
8 parlor v4MzU     
n.店铺,营业室;会客室,客厅
参考例句:
  • She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
  • Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店?
9 hunch CdVzZ     
n.预感,直觉
参考例句:
  • I have a hunch that he didn't really want to go.我有这么一种感觉,他并不真正想去。
  • I had a hunch that Susan and I would work well together.我有预感和苏珊共事会很融洽。
10 zippered ed46cf997b13826b9dcc208fa3765aea     
v.拉上拉链( zipper的过去式和过去分词 );用拉链扣上
参考例句:
  • Freeze grapes and put them into a zippered plastic bag. 还可以把葡萄冷冻,然后放在有拉链的塑料袋里。 来自互联网
  • Packaging is a VZB( Vinyl Zippered Bag packaging), with a color insert. 包装:有拉链的塑料袋,放一张彩卡。 来自互联网
11 loon UkPyS     
n.狂人
参考例句:
  • That guy's a real loon.那个人是个真正的疯子。
  • Everyone thought he was a loon.每个人都骂他神经。
12 pointed Il8zB4     
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。
13 unison gKCzB     
n.步调一致,行动一致
参考例句:
  • The governments acted in unison to combat terrorism.这些国家的政府一致行动对付恐怖主义。
  • My feelings are in unison with yours.我的感情与你的感情是一致的。
14 smack XEqzV     
vt.拍,打,掴;咂嘴;vi.含有…意味;n.拍
参考例句:
  • She gave him a smack on the face.她打了他一个嘴巴。
  • I gave the fly a smack with the magazine.我用杂志拍了一下苍蝇。
15 stunned 735ec6d53723be15b1737edd89183ec2     
adj. 震惊的,惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
  • The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。
16 leftover V97zC     
n.剩货,残留物,剩饭;adj.残余的
参考例句:
  • These narrow roads are a leftover from the days of horse-drawn carriages.这些小道是从马车时代沿用下来的。
  • Wonder if that bakery lets us take leftover home.不知道那家糕饼店会不会让我们把卖剩的带回家。
17 gimmick Iefzy     
n.(为引人注意而搞的)小革新,小发明
参考例句:
  • He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事,只当它是一种宣传手法。
  • It is just a public relations gimmick.这只不过是一种公关伎俩。
18 gimmicks ebf13bd5f71fff192597aad2cac0592e     
n.花招,诡计,骗人的玩意儿( gimmick的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Financial institutions are also often expected yield of gimmicks. 金融机构也往往以预期收益率为噱头。 来自互联网
  • However these are just marketing gimmicks that propagate the myth. 然而这些只是噱头的营销传播的神话。 来自互联网
19 scrambling cfea7454c3a8813b07de2178a1025138     
v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 );攀登;争夺;(军事飞机)紧急起飞
参考例句:
  • Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发,冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》
20 doorway 2s0xK     
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径
参考例句:
  • They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
  • Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。
21 hips f8c80f9a170ee6ab52ed1e87054f32d4     
abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯,耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 );[建筑学]屋脊;臀围(尺寸);臀部…的
参考例句:
  • She stood with her hands on her hips. 她双手叉腰站着。
  • They wiggled their hips to the sound of pop music. 他们随着流行音乐的声音摇晃着臀部。 来自《简明英汉词典》
22 peeked c7b2fdc08abef3a4f4992d9023ed9bb8     
v.很快地看( peek的过去式和过去分词 );偷看;窥视;微露出
参考例句:
  • She peeked over the top of her menu. 她从菜单上往外偷看。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • On two occasions she had peeked at him through a crack in the wall. 她曾两次透过墙缝窥视他。 来自辞典例句
23 eyebrows a0e6fb1330e9cfecfd1c7a4d00030ed5     
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
  • His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。
24 apron Lvzzo     
n.围裙;工作裙
参考例句:
  • We were waited on by a pretty girl in a pink apron.招待我们的是一位穿粉红色围裙的漂亮姑娘。
  • She stitched a pocket on the new apron.她在新围裙上缝上一只口袋。
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