Benny shifted in his sleeping bag. “What time is it?” he whispered.
Henry had agreed to take the first watch. Jessie, Violet, and Benny were trying to sleep, but it was hard for Jessie to get comfortable on the wood floor. And Violet and Benny were simply too excited to sleep.
Henry glanced at his watch. “It’s a quarter to twelve,” he whispered back.
“That’s pretty late,” Benny said with a yawn.
“Yes, it is,” Henry agreed. He held a big spotlight in his lap. Everyone else had small flashlights.
If Henry saw anyone around the maze, he was supposed to wake everyone up and shine the spotlight on the intruder. Ken said the light was bright enough to light up the whole yard. But so far, Henry hadn’t had any reason to use it.
Jessie rolled over onto her stomach, but that wasn’t any more comfortable. Finally she sat up.
“I think I’m going to move my sleeping bag down onto the grass,” Jessie said. “Violet and Benny, do you want to come with me?”
“I’d rather sleep up here,” Benny said.
“Me, too,” Violet said.
So Jessie got up, carried her sleeping bag and pillow down the stairs, and settled herself on the grass.
“Is that better, Jessie?” Henry called to her.
“Much better,” Jessie said as she snuggled down into her sleeping bag.
“It’s kind of nice being out here under the stars,” Violet said, gazing up at the night sky.
“Are there more stars here than there are at home?” Benny wondered.
“No,” Jessie replied. “It just looks like it because we’re out in the country. There are no city lights to block out some of the dimmer stars.”
The children picked out the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper and the Pleiades.
Then, one by one, they drifted off to sleep.
After a while, Henry tiptoed down the stairs with his flashlight and nudged Jessie. “Can you take over the watch? I’m getting tired.”
Jessie rolled over. “Sure,” she said softly. She yawned and stretched. “Have you seen anything unusual?”
“No.” Henry shook his head. “I think Grandfather and Ken are sleeping now, too. I haven’t heard their chairs rocking at all.”
Jessie sat up where she had a good view of the maze and Henry handed her a flashlight. “Wake me up if you see anything,” he said. Then he crept back up to the lookout tower.
“I will,” Jessie promised.
It didn’t take Henry long to fall asleep. Jessie gazed out over the yard. The moon gave off enough light so that she was sure she would see someone running across the yard.
But so far, there had been no one.
Jessie rubbed her eyes. It was hard to stay awake all by herself. Just as she was about to wake Violet, a movement at the edge of the trees caught her eye.
Jessie peered closer. A dark figure emerged from the trees. The figure crept slowly toward the maze.
Jessie pounded on the lookout tower. “Wake up!” she cried. “There’s someone in the yard.” She shined the flashlight toward the figure. But before Jessie could get the light focused, the person dashed into the maze.
“Quick! After him!” Henry cried.
The children flipped on their flashlights and clattered down the stairs of the lookout tower. They raced toward the maze.
“He went in through the exit,” Jessie said as the back porch light came on and Grandfather and Ken stood up.
A light went on in Jack Sweeney’s trailer, too. He stepped outside. “What’s going on?” he asked, pulling his robe tight around his stomach.
“Someone’s in the maze,” Jessie called back.
“Violet, why don’t you stand guard by the entrance,” Henry directed. “Benny, you stand guard by the exit. Jessie and I will see if we can corner the intruder inside the maze.”
Jessie grabbed her flashlight and dashed in through the entrance. Henry hurried in through the exit. Jessie shined her flashlight on the path ahead and listened. She could hear the intruder running a few rows to her right.
The cornstalks were planted too close together for her to sneak quietly between the rows. All she could do was keep winding her way through the maze and hope that she and Henry somehow managed to corner the vandal.
Jessie saw a dark figure turn a corner and run right onto the same path she was on. The figure stopped, momentarily blinded by Jessie’s flashlight. Jessie gasped when she saw who the person was.
“It’s Peggy Rodman!” she yelled so everyone could hear her.
“Wait,” Peggy cried, shielding her eyes. “I can explain.”
Jessie hurried over to Peggy. “Let’s find our way out of the maze first. Then you can explain.”
“Where are you guys?” Henry called.
“I’m not sure,” Jessie replied.
“I see them!” Violet cried. “I’m up in the lookout tower.”
Jessie glanced up as a bright light shone down on the maze. Violet was shining the light from the lookout tower. She smiled and waved at Jessie. Jessie waved back.
“Turn right at the next intersection, Jessie,” Violet called. “Then left. Then just stay on that path and you’ll be out.”
Jessie followed Violet’s instructions. In a matter of minutes, she and Peggy were out of the maze. Ken, Jack Sweeney, Grandfather, and the other children were waiting by the exit.
Ken just stared sadly at Peggy. “So, you’re the one who’s been causing all my trouble,” he said.
“Well, not tonight,” Peggy said. “Tonight I came to look for something I’d lost. But … I couldn’t find it.” She lowered her eyes.
“Were you by any chance looking for a tire?” Mr. Sweeney asked.
“You found it already?” Peggy asked mournfully.
Jack nodded.
Peggy looked up at Ken. “I’m so sorry, Ken. I was never going to hurt anyone at the festival—not really! I just wanted to scare you. That’s why I left all those notes. That’s why I toilet-papered your maze and dumped the manure and yes, even left a trailer wheel.
“I know now that scaring you with that wheel was going too far,” Peggy went on. “That’s why I came here tonight. I wanted to take it back before you found it. Unfortunately, I was too late.” Peggy looked down at her pointy cowboy boots.
“But why would you do all this?” Ken asked, trying to make sense of what he was hearing.
“Because I wanted you to give up. I wanted you to sell your property to me and move into town. You may not know this, but your land has been in my family for three generations!”
“I do know that. Your father told me when he sold it to me,” Ken said.
“He didn’t think either of his daughters would want to farm,” Peggy said. “But I do. I love farming. I’ve spent my whole life learning about it. Unfortunately, all I have left of my daddy’s land is a little vegetable patch. And I can’t even make a living from that now that you’ve decided to sell vegetables, too.”
“I offered to let you sell your vegetables here,” Ken reminded her.
“Yes, but I didn’t want to just set up a little vegetable stand,” Peggy said. “I could do that at home. I wanted a bigger role. I wanted to buy you out and farm this land and run the festival myself. I’ve been saving for years so I could make you a good offer. An offer you’d be sure to accept. But you refused.”
“That must’ve made you really angry,” Violet said.
“Yes.” Peggy let out a deep breath. “I know I handled this all wrong. Vandalizing your maze is not going to convince you to sell to me. I’ll pay for all the damage. And if you want to press charges—”
“I’ll have to think about that,” Ken said. “Right now, it’s late. We’re all tired. And we’ve got a big day tomorrow if we’re going to get ready for the festival on Saturday.”
Peggy nodded. “I want you to know, Ken, I really am sorry.” Then she left.
Mr. Sweeney turned to go back to his trailer.
“I had no idea how much this land meant to Peggy,” Ken said, shaking his head. “That doesn’t excuse what she did, but I understand why she did it.”
“At least the vandalism is over,” Grandfather said. “Is everybody ready for bed?”
“Can we still sleep outside for the rest of the night?” Benny wanted to know.
“Sure,” Grandfather replied. “There won’t be any more trouble tonight. But if you don’t mind, I think Ken and I will move inside where there are real beds.”
The next day, The King Corn Days Festival went on as scheduled. Visitors started arriving just before noon.
The children and Mr. Sweeney had done a good job repairing the damaged section of the maze. They had painted the wood posts green and stuck bunches of corncobs inside the chicken wire fencing. At first glance, the visitors didn’t even notice that part of the maze was missing.
The children had also set up a smaller maze of hay bales for little kids. Violet had spread construction paper, markers, and scissors over several picnic tables for children who wanted to make crafts.
Kurt brought over bushels of sweet corn, which he and Ken boiled in large pots over an open fire. Henry and Jessie served up the corn as fast as it was ready, then husked more to be boiled.
“What a great festival!” Jessie said as she watched all the people milling about Ken’s farm.
“People seem to be enjoying themselves,” Grandfather said.
Grownups chatted with one another while their children scampered over the bales of hay and chased each other through the maze.
Families strolled about the farm, playing games, feeding the animals, and of course, munching sweet corn.
“I can’t thank you children enough for all your help,” Ken said. “Not only did you help get ready for the festival, you helped clean up after the vandalism all week. And you caught the vandal.”
“We were happy to help,” Henry said.
“Well, this festival never would’ve gone on today without you,” Ken said as he rolled a few ears of cooked corn in a pan of hot melted butter.
“We’re all grateful to you,” Kurt put in.
“We’re just glad the festival didn’t have to be canceled,” Violet said.
When all the people went home, the Aldens helped Ken, Kurt, and Mr. Sweeney clean up. Even Peggy stopped by to see if she could help. She looked a little nervous standing in the driveway, waiting for Ken’s answer.
“Sure you can,” Ken said, waving her forward. “In fact, I’d like to talk to you again.”
“Oh?” Peggy said warily. “H-have you decided to press charges?”
“No,” Ken said. “This is something else. I know my brother and my son are worried about me. And I know this maze and festival require a lot of extra work each year. More than Jack really has time for.”
Jack nodded.
“So,” Ken looked at Peggy. “I was thinking, since you enjoy farming so much, maybe you’d like to help me with the maze and the festival next year?”
Peggy looked surprised. “Really?”
“There’s going to come a day when I’m too old to run my farm,” Ken went on. “That day hasn’t come yet, but when it does, I’d sure like to sell to somebody I know will love this farm and the maze the way I do.”
“But don’t you want to buy Ken’s farm, too, Kurt?” Benny asked.
“Shh, Benny!” Jessie scolded. “It’s not our business.”
“That’s okay, Jessie,” Kurt said. “Actually, Ken and I talked about this. I’d like to make peace with Peggy, too. Besides, I’m only five years younger than Ken. By the time he’s ready to sell, I probably will be, too. And I’d sure rather sell to an individual than to a large corporation.”
“I-I don’t know what to say,” Peggy said, her eyes growing misty.
“Say you’ll do it,” Kurt said.
Peggy laughed. “I’ll do it.”
The Aldens all smiled at each other. They liked it when things turned out well.
“So, have you started thinking about next year’s maze, Ken?” Benny asked.
“It’s probably a little early to be thinking about next year’s maze, Benny,” Henry said.
“No, it isn’t,” Ken argued. “In fact, I actually have been thinking about next year’s design. I’m thinking I’d like to do a boxcar …”
“A boxcar!” Benny cried. “Oh, boy!”
“A boxcar in honor of the Boxcar Children,” Kurt said. “That sounds like a great idea, Ken.”
“Can we come back next year, Grandfather?” Benny begged. “Can we? I really want to see the boxcar maze.”
“Definitely, Benny,” Grandfather replied. “I wouldn’t miss it for all the corn in Iowa!” |