“I like it, too,” Jessie said. “But it makes Benny sneeze.” And just to prove her point, Benny sneezed again.
Mr. Lillipool chuckled. Then said, “Why would Ms. Werner put Get Away Spray on the dog food bowls? On everyone else’s except Buffalo’s?”
“I have the answer,” Jessie said. She ran over to the office area and got Ms. Werner’s coffee cup, which was full of water. “Yesterday Violet noticed that Ms. Werner’s coffee cup had a picture of a fluffy, white dog on it,” Jessie said.
“There was a heart around the photo and some writing on the other side. I didn’t have time to read the words yesterday,” Violet said.
Jessie turned the cup so everyone could see. On the other side was the dog’s name: Bandit.
“Bandit,” Henry said. “That’s what Dante called Buffalo that one time.”
To everyone’s surprise, Jessie poured the water from the coffee cup onto Buffalo. Buffalo shook. His black spots began to disappear.
“Oh, I get it, Jessie!” Benny said. He looked at the dog. “Hello, Bandit.”
“Ms. Werner wanted her dog to win so she had Dante draw spots on him. And they called him Buffalo,” Henry said. “That must be why Dante isn’t going to Hollywood. It’s not really his dog.”
“You have it all figured out,” Dante said. He spoke quietly, looking only at his feet. “Ms. Werner sprayed the Get Away Spray on all the other dogs’ bowls so they wouldn’t eat the Wundermutt food. She did everything so that Bandit would win,” Dante added.
Mr. Lillipool was surprised. “Ms. Werner, we talked about this already. People who work for the company are not allowed to audition their pets. It’s a rule,” Mr. Lillipool said.
“It’s a bad rule. Completely unfair,” Ms. Werner complained. “Bandit is the best dog for the commercial. I had my neighbor, Dante, bring Bandit to show you just how great he is.”
“Just because you think something is unfair doesn’t mean you can cheat,” Jessie told her.
“Cheating isn’t nice,” Benny said. “Not nice at all.”
“You’re right, Benny,” Dante said. Looking up at Mr. Lillipool, Dante continued. “Ms. Werner and I had a deal that if I helped her, I’d get the prize money. But I now see that it was a wrong thing to do. Watch deserved to win. I feel bad that he didn’t.”
“Young man, at least you now understand that you did wrong,” Mr. Lillipool said. “You know that cheating is not okay and that rules are meant to be followed. I’m not so sure Ms. Werner understands that.” Mr. Lillipool pointed at Ms. Werner. “You will come to my office on Monday at eight o’clock sharp. We will then discuss whether or not you still have a job at Wundermutt!”
“My dog deserved to win,” Ms. Werner said. “I’ll show you how good he is. He’ll get a different commercial! For another kind of dog food! He’ll be famous!” Then, she marched out of the room with Bandit.
Mr. Lillipool ran his hand over his head. “This audition is a mess,” he said.
“There was one good thing that came out of all this,” Henry said. “We have proven that Lisa’s citronella Get Away Spray works really, really well.”
Mr. Lillipool stepped up next to Lisa. “We should talk,” he said. “You have a bright future as a pet product inventor. When we get back to Hollywood I want to make a big batch of your Get Away Spray.”
Lisa smiled.
Mr. Lillipool turned to look at the Alden children. “You’ve solved two mysteries today. Amazing!” he said.
Watch nudged Mr. Lillipool in the leg.
“You’re amazing too, Watch,” Mr. Lillipool told the dog. “And because you are such a good dog, and so well trained—you are going to be in our new Wundermutt commercial. Welcome to Hollywood!”
“Congratulations,” Dante said with a big smile. “You all deserve it.”
“I knew it!” Benny shouted. He held up his lucky penny for everyone to see. “Watch is going to be a superstar!”
“And Josh will get his bike fixed with the prize money,” Henry said.
“Fame and fortune,” Jessie said with a smile.
“And a chauffeur’s hat for Grandfather,” Violet said with a laugh.
“Woof!” said Watch.
“Hurry up,” Jessie said. “It’s almost time!”
Henry brought Watch into the room and sat down.
Grandfather was already in his favorite chair. Violet and Jessie were waiting by the TV
“I’ve got snacks!” Benny said. He carried in a bowl of pretzels. “I even brought dog treats for the TV star.”
After the auditions, the Aldens and Watch had gone to Hollywood. There, in a real TV studio, Watch performed his tricks. They filmed the Wundermutt Commercial with Timmy Moore.
“Am I late?” Josh Green asked as he rushed into the room. He took off his bike helmet.
“It’s on after this,” Jessie said.
“Great. I didn’t want to miss Watch’s big commercial!” Josh said. He leaned over and scratched Watch’s head. “Thanks so much for fixing my bike,” he told the dog.
“I brought you a thank-you present.” Josh handed Watch a new chew toy
“Shhh,” Jessie said. “This is it.”
The music began. It was upbeat and snappy.
In the commercial, Watch came running through a field of flowers. He jumped over a log and under a bench. Then, Timmy Moore opened the kitchen door and Watch bounded inside.
“Dinner!” Timmy called. Watch leapt up, higher than ever before, straight into Timmy’s open arms.
“Good boy,” Timmy said. “Here’s a yummy Wundermutt meal for you.” Then Watch gobbled up the whole bowl.
Everyone applauded as soon as the commercial was over.
“Watch should be in more commercials!” Josh said.
“Well, after the commercial was done, we all decided that we’d had enough Hollywood excitement,” Violet explained. “We wanted to come home.”
“I got a great Hollywood souvenir,” Grandfather said. “Want to see it?”
“Is it another dog food bowl that smells like citronella?” Josh asked. Henry had told him the whole story of the audition and the two solved mysteries.
“No,” Grandfather said with a big grin. “This.” He reached beneath his chair and pulled out a chauffeur’s hat. Grandfather slipped the hat on. “I’m the official driver for Superstar Watch and his crew.”
“Sir, can you please drive us out for ice cream?” Benny asked.
“It would be my pleasure, young Master Benny,” Grandfather said, tipping his hat. “Shall we bring the Superstar along for a ride?”
“No,” Benny said. “He’s busy.”
The Alden children looked at their dog.
Superstar Watch was in the kitchen, eating a bowl of his favorite Wundermutt dog food.
About the Author
GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book, The Boxcar Children, quickly proved she had succeeded.
Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write the mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be like to set up housekeeping in a caboose or freight car — the situation the Alden children find themselves in.
While the mystery element is central to each of Miss Warner’s books, she never thought of them as strictly juvenile mysteries. She liked to stress the Aldens’ independence and resourcefulness and their solid New England devotion to using up and making do. The Aldens go about most of their adventures with as little adult supervision as possible — something else that delights young readers.
M
iss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in 1979. During her lifetime, she received hundreds of letters from girls and boys telling her how much they liked her books.
The Boxcar Children Mysteries
THE BOXCAR CHILDREN
SURPRISE ISLAND
THE YELLOW HOUSE MYSTERY
MYSTERY RANCH
MIKE’S MYSTERY
BLUE BAY MYSTERY
THE WOODSHED MYSTERY
THE LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERY
MOUNTAIN TOP MYSTERY
SCHOOLHOUSE MYSTERY
CABOOSE MYSTERY
HOUSEBOAT MYSTERY
SNOWBOUND MYSTERY
TREE HOUSE MYSTERY
BICYCLE MYSTERY
MYSTERY IN THE SAND
MYSTERY BEHIND THE WALL
BUS STATION MYSTERY
BENNY UNCOVERS A MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CABIN MYSTERY
THE DESERTED LIBRARY MYSTERY
THE ANIMAL SHELTER MYSTERY
THE OLD MOTEL MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN PAINTING
THE AMUSEMENT PARK MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIXED-UP ZOO
THE CAMP-OUT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY GIRL
THE MYSTERY CRUISE
THE DISAPPEARING FRIEND MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE SINGING GHOST
MYSTERY IN THE SNOW
THE PIZZA MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY HORSE
THE MYSTERY AT THE DOG SHOW
THE CASTLE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST VILLAGE
THE MYSTERY ON THE ICE
THE MYSTERY OF THE PURPLE POOL
THE GHOST SHIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN WASHINGTON, DC
THE CANOE TRIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN BEACH
THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING CAT
THE MYSTERY AT SNOWFLAKE INN
THE MYSTERY ON STAGE
THE DINOSAUR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN MUSIC
THE MYSTERY AT THE BALL PARK
THE CHOCOLATE SUNDAE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HOT AIR BALLOON
THE MYSTERY BOOKSTORE
THE PILGRIM VILLAGE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN BOXCAR
THE MYSTERY IN THE CAVE
THE MYSTERY ON THE TRAIN
THE MYSTERY AT THE FAIR
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST MINE
THE GUIDE DOG MYSTERY
THE HURRICANE MYSTERY
THE PET SHOP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE SECRET MESSAGE
THE FIREHOUSE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN SAN FRANCISCO
THE NIAGARA FALLS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY AT THE ALAMO
THE OUTER SPACE MYSTERY
THE SOCCER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE OLD ATTIC
THE GROWLING BEAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE LAKE MONSTER
THE MYSTERY AT PEACOCK HALL
THE WINDY CITY MYSTERY
THE BLACK PEARL MYSTERY
THE CEREAL BOX MYSTERY
THE PANTHER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE QUEEN’S JEWELS
THE STOLEN SWORD MYSTERY
THE BASKETBALL MYSTERY
THE MOVIE STAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE PIRATE’S MAP
THE GHOST TOWN MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK RAVEN
THE MYSTERY IN THE MALL
THE MYSTERY IN NEW YORK
THE GYMNASTICS MYSTERY
THE POISON FROG MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE EMPTY SAFE
THE HOME RUN MYSTERY
THE GREAT BICYCLE RACE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD PONIES
THE MYSTERY IN THE COMPUTER GAME
THE MYSTERY AT THE CROOKED HOUSE
THE HOCKEY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT DOG
THE MYSTERY OF THE SCREECH OWL
THE SUMMER CAMP MYSTERY
THE COPYCAT MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CLOCK TOWER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE TIGER’S EYE
THE DISAPPEARING STAIRCASE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY ON BLIZZARD MOUNTAIN
THE MYSTERY OF THE SPIDER’S CLUE
THE CANDY FACTORY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY’S CURSE
THE MYSTERY OF THE STAR RUBY
THE STUFFED BEAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF ALLIGATOR SWAMP
THE MYSTERY AT SKELETON POINT
THE TATTLETALE MYSTERY
THE COMIC BOOK MYSTERY
THE GREAT SHARK MYSTERY
THE ICE CREAM MYSTERY
THE MIDNIGHT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE FORTUNE COOKIE
THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER MYSTERY
THE RADIO MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE RUNAWAY GHOST
THE FINDERS KEEPERS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED BOXCAR
THE CLUE IN THE CORN MAZE
THE GHOST OF THE CHATTERING BONES
THE SWORD OF THE SILVER KNIGHT
THE GAME STORE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE ORPHAN TRAIN
THE VANISHING PASSENGER
THE GIANT YO-YO MYSTERY
THE CREATURE IN OGOPOGO LAKE
THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL MYSTERY
THE SECRET OF THE MASK
THE SEATTLE PUZZLE
THE GHOST IN THE FIRST ROW
THE BOX THAT WATCH FOUND
A HORSE NAMED DRAGON
THE GREAT DETECTIVE RACE
THE GHOST AT THE DRIVE-IN MOVIE
THE MYSTERY OF THE TRAVELING TOMATOES
THE SPY GAME
THE DOG-GONE MYSTERY
THE VAMPIRE MYSTERY
SUPERSTAR WATCH
THE SPY IN THE BLEACHERS
THE AMAZING MYSTERY SHOW
THE PUMPKIN HEAD MYSTERY
THE CUPCAKE CAPER
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook onscreen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
copyright © 2009 by Albert Whitman & Company
978-1-4532-2910-1
This 2011 edition distributed by Open Road Integrated Media
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www.openroadmedia.com
EBOOKS BY GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER
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