“It sounded like a very big animal, even bigger than a deer,” Annika said. “And deer don’t make that much noise.”
“That’s a mean trick for someone to play,” Isiah said.
“It was. I wish you had been there. You have to be more careful with your phone,” Annika scolded. “I need someone I can count on to help me with the tours.”
“Let me make it up to you. I’ll lead the next tour and you take the easy job and drive the wagon. You know I’m good at telling stories and doing voices.” He hunched over and then spoke in creaky, trembly voice like an old man. “I’ll have them quivering in their boots. He pointed at Benny with a crooked finger. “Young man, you there? I see a strange, ghostly shape. Right behind you!” he yelled. Benny jumped, twisting around to look.
Benny’s eyes opened wide and then he smiled. “I knew there wasn’t really anyone there. I’m not that easy to trick.”
“Just teasing you, young lad.” Isiah laughed. “See, I’m good, aren’t I?”
Annika stomped her foot and scowled at him. “This is supposed to be a family-friendly ghost tour, Isiah. Remember? We don’t want them quivering in their boots.”
“The tour has to be a little bit scary or else no one will want to go,” Isiah said. “Can I have a cookie?” He reached for the cookie jar and then stopped. Jessie noticed a funny expression cross Isiah’s face. “Come to think of it,” Isiah said. “I’d rather have a cruller. I’m hungry.”
Annika sighed. “You’re the only person I know who is always hungry.”
“You know two people now!” Benny said. “I’m always hungry too.”
“There, you see,” Isiah said, holding up his hand to high-five Benny. “Some people just need to eat. I should be going. I promise I’ll be there tomorrow.” He said good-bye to everyone.
After he left, Annika slumped down on one of the benches. “I guess the ghost-tour business was a bad idea. Maybe I should just quit.”
“No, it’s too soon to give up,” Mrs. Vanderhoff told her.
“Can we go with you tomorrow?” Henry asked. “We might be able to help find out who is playing tricks.”
“That’s a good idea,” Mrs. McGregor said. “If anyone can help solve this mystery, it’s these four.”
“You can come,” Annika said. “But I don’t think it will help.”
“Annika, you sound very tired.” Mrs. Vanderhoff said. “Things will seem better in the morning.” She got up. “Why don’t we all go to bed?”
She took the Aldens up to the apartment and showed them the sleeping bags on the floor. “I set everything up for you before it got dark. There are flashlights for each of you on the table and extra blankets on the sofa. Are you sure you’ll be all right?”
“We’ll be fine,” Jessie said.
“Good night, then.” After she left, Watch inspected each sleeping bag. He picked a dark green one and then lay down on it, closing his eyes.
“Watch is tired too,” Violet said. “Someone is going to have to share their bed with him.”
“I will,” Benny said. “He can watch out for me. Watch can watch me, get it?”
“That’s good, Benny,” Violet said. “Let’s all go to bed. I’m as tired as Watch.”
Once they were all in their pajamas, Benny asked, “That wasn’t really a headless horseman, was it?”
“No, it was someone dressed up like that,” Jessie said. “There’s an old story about a headless horseman by an author named Washington Irving. It’s set in Sleepy Hollow. We read it in school.”
“I don’t know why someone would want to dress up like that,” Benny grumbled. “It’s too scary.”
“We’ll find out who did it and then you’ll see it’s just a trick,” Henry said.
They woke the next morning when Mrs. McGregor came in the door. She had a tray with mugs of hot chocolate. “Good morning! The power is still out, but as soon as you’re dressed, we’re going next door to the restaurant for breakfast. I hear they have very tasty apple pancakes.”
Benny jumped up. “Let’s go!”
“Not in pajamas!” Jessie said, laughing.
“Oh, right,” Benny said, looking down at his pajamas. “I forgot.”
Mrs. McGregor picked up Watch’s leash.
“I’ll take Watch and give him his breakfast,” she said. “He can stay in the backyard while we go to the café. Come along, Watch.”
When the Aldens were ready, they walked over to the café with Mrs. Vanderhoff and Mrs. McGregor. “Annika won’t be joining us,” Mrs. Vanderhoff said. “I’m afraid she has a bad headache. She is still upset about last night.”
“I’d be upset too,” Jessie said.
“Yes, we don’t like when people play mean tricks,” Henry added.
In front of the café a man wearing a jacket and a tie was watching two workers attaching a sign to a post outside the restaurant. The sign had a big red apple on it.
“I can read the sign!” Benny said. “It’s called the Apple House Café!”
“Good job, Benny,” Jessie said. “You’re learning fast.”
“Good morning, Mr. Beekman,” Mrs. Vanderhoff said. “What a nice new sign.”
The man mumbled something and then turned away from them.
Mrs. Vanderhoff shook her head sadly at the man’s reaction and said, “Let’s go on in.”
As they walked up the steps, one of the workmen said, “This paint isn’t dry! It’s all over my hands. We shouldn’t be putting up this sign now.”
“I want it done today,” Mr. Beekman said. “Put it up and I’ll repaint it if it needs it.”
He added something else, but the Aldens couldn’t hear because a hostess opened the door of the café and said, “Welcome to the Apple House Café.” She showed them to a big round table in the back and gave them menus.
A few minutes later a waiter in a red apron appeared. He scowled at them. Violet thought he looked a little like the man outside, but much younger. Both had curly brown hair and round faces.
“Good morning, Brett,” Mrs. Vanderhoff said.
The young man didn’t respond to her greeting as he pulled out an order pad. “We’re busy,” he snapped. “There’s going to be a long wait for your food. What do you want?” He took down their orders for pancakes, eggs, bacon, coffee, and orange juice before hurrying away.
“The people who work here don’t seem very friendly,” Violet said.
“It’s just Brett and his father,” Mrs. Vanderhoff said. “I’m afraid they aren’t very happy with me. They offered to buy my house at a good price. They want to turn it into a bed and breakfast for Brett to run. I just don’t want to sell. I love my little shop, even if it doesn’t make much money.”
“Could Mr. Beekman be the one playing the tricks?” Henry asked. “He may think the tricks will convince you to sell the house.”
“We know he has red paint,” Violet said.
“And someone who owns a restaurant might know about food that looks like worms and dirt,” Jessie added.
“Oh, I hope he wouldn’t do that.” Mrs. Vanderhoff looked shocked. “That wouldn’t be very neighborly. I’m sure it’s someone else.”
Brett stomped over with a coffee pot and a pitcher of juice. He set the juice down with a thunk and some of it sloshed onto the tablecloth. “Oops,” he said as he walked away.
The Aldens looked at each other. They weren’t so sure.
Buy The Sleepy Hollow Mystery now!
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—th
e 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.
Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in l979. 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
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
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 CLUE IN THE RECYCLING BIN
MONKEY TROUBLE
THE ZOMBIE PROJECT
THE GREAT TURKEY HEIST
THE GARDEN THIEF
THE BOARDWALK MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE FALLEN TREASURE
THE RETURN OF THE GRAVEYARD GHOST
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN SNOWBOARD
THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD WEST BANDIT
THE MYSTERY OF THE GRINNING GARGOYLE
THE MYSTERY OF THE SOCCER SNITCH
THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING POP IDOL
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN DINOSAUR BONES
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof 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, events, 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 © 2015 by Albert Whitman & Company
Cover art by Logan Kline
Interior illustrations by Anthony VanArsdale
978-1-5040-1685-8
Albert Whitman & Company
250 South Northwest Highway, Suite 320
Park Ridge, Illinois 60068
www.albertwhitman.com
Distributed by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
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THE BOXCAR CHILDREN
MYSTERIES
FROM ALBERT WHITMAN & COMPANY
FROM OPEN ROAD MEDIA
Available wherever ebooks are sold
Since 1919, independent publisher Albert Whitman & Company has created some of the world’s most loved children’s books. Best known for the classic Boxcar Children® Mysteries series, its highly praised picture books, novels, and nonfiction titles succeed in delighting and reaching out to children and teens of all backgrounds and experiences. Albert Whitman’s special-interest titles address subjects such as disease, bullying, and disabilities. All Albert Whitman books treat their readers in a caring and respectful manner, helping them to grow intellectually and emotionally.
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