When the Aldens pedaled their bikes up the drive toward Grandfather’s house, they were surprised to see Mrs. McGregor and Watch in the front yard. Watch was growling and barking.
Benny jumped off his bicycle and ran to the post Henry had hammered into the ground. Sam the Scarecrow was gone!
“Oh, Benny,” said Mrs. McGregor. “I’m so sorry about your scarecrow. I know how hard you worked on him.”
“What happened?” asked Henry.
“I’m not sure,” Mrs. McGregor said. “When I saw that it was starting to get dark, I thought I would light the candle in the pumpkin head. That way, you could see your scarecrow from the road when you came home. I thought you would like that.”
“Could you really see it from the road?” Violet asked.
“Yes. When I went out last night, I could see it for a long way on the road. It was quite scary.” Mrs. McGregor wiped her hands on her apron. “But when I came out this evening, Watch was barking excitedly. He had a piece of the scarecrow in his mouth. I think he must have pulled Sam down.”
“But where did Sam go?” asked Henry.
“I’m not sure,” Mrs. McGregor said. “Watch could have dragged Sam anywhere.”
“Oh, Watch!” Jessie held her dog in her arms. “You silly dog. Sam was a harmless scarecrow!”
Benny sat on the ground. He pulled the straw he had saved for Sam’s dinner out of his pockets. “I guess Sam won’t need this now,” he said sadly.
Watch had a small ripped piece of Sam’s pants in his mouth. He dropped it onto Benny’s lap. Watch licked Benny’s face.
“It’s okay, Watch,” Benny said. “I know you don’t understand about scarecrows.”
“How about some dinner?” Mrs. McGregor asked. “It might make you feel better. And you must all be hungry after a long day on the farm.”
“That sounds wonderful,” said Jessie. “Thank you.”
Benny rested his head in his hands. “I’ll be there in a minute,” he said.
Henry, Jessie, and Violet went inside to wash up for dinner. Benny sat by the pole with Watch, thinking.
“You have straw in your coat, Watch,” Benny said. “And you had a piece of my scarecrow’s pants. That means you must be guilty of taking Sam. But where did you put him?”
Watch barked and growled. He ran in circles around the pole.
“Wait a minute,” Benny said. “Something does not make sense.” He felt around in the grass underneath the pole. The only thing he found was a few pieces of straw. Benny stood up. “Wait here, Watch. I’ll be right back.”
Benny ran inside and took a flashlight out of the closet. He jumped down the porch steps and into the yard. “Come on, Watch,” he said, turning on the flashlight. “Let’s go look for Sam. Maybe we can rescue him. I’ll bet you know something, don’t you?”
Watch barked excitedly. He ran toward a stand of trees at the far end of Grandfather’s property. It was very dark, but Benny followed. He shone the flashlight through the trees and under the bushes. He saw two fat toads and a possum with a long tail, but no scarecrow. Benny walked deeper and deeper into the small patch of woods.
Mrs. McGregor put a steaming roast on the table. Henry, Jessie, and Violet helped to set out the mashed potatoes, green beans, and applesauce.
Grandfather filled all their glasses with milk. “That’s odd,” he said. “A table full of food and no Benny. Where is your brother?”
“I’m not sure,” said Jessie. “I thought he was getting washed for dinner. I’ll go check.”
Jessie was back in a minute. Her face looked worried. “He’s not upstairs,” she said, “and he’s not in the yard either.”
“Oh, my,” said Mrs. McGregor. “I hope he’s not still upset about his scarecrow. Where could he have gone?”
Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Grandfather all grabbed flashlights and ran outside to search for Benny. Grandfather checked the back yard. Jessie looked in the garage.
“Benny!” Henry yelled. “Where are you?” Henry’s voice was loud, but Benny did not answer.
Violet was shining her flashlight up the driveway. “Listen!” she exclaimed. “I think I can hear Watch barking!”
Grandfather and the children hurried toward the patch of woods where the sound had come from. “Careful,” Grandfather said. They stepped over fallen branches and past prickly bushes. An owl hooted in the trees above them.
Suddenly Watch burst from the bushes, panting. “Watch!” Jessie called. “Where is Benny?”
“I’m over here!” Benny shouted. “I’m stuck!”
Henry ran. He found Benny by a wire fence next to the road. Some of the wire had come loose and was on the ground. Benny’s foot was tangled in it!
“I didn’t see the wire,” Benny explained. “It was dark. And then I stepped into it. But look what I found!” He pointed to a pile of straw on the ground.
A round circle of blood stained Benny’s sock. Grandfather worked Benny free from the wire and carried him home.
Mrs. McGregor stood nervously on the porch. “Thank goodness he’s safe!” she exclaimed. When she saw the blood on Benny’s leg, she hurried to get the first aid kit.
Inside, Jessie washed Benny’s cut and put a bandage over it. “You should never go that close to the road, Benny,” she said. “It’s too dangerous. We were so worried.”
“I’m sorry,” Benny said. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I wanted to find Sam. I thought maybe Watch knew where he was.”
“Sam?” Grandfather asked, as they all sat down to dinner. “Do you mean your scarecrow?”
“Yes.” Benny explained how they had come home to find the scarecrow missing. “At first, we all thought Watch did it. But he didn’t! Watch is innocent!”
“How can he be innocent?” asked Violet. “Watch had a piece of Sam’s pants in his mouth.”
“I know.” Benny scooped a mountain of mashed potatoes onto his plate. “But remember all the broken pumpkins at the Beckett farm today?”
“Of course,” Violet answered.
“It made me think. If Watch had pulled down my scarecrow, wouldn’t the pumpkin head have fallen onto the ground?” Benny poured gravy over his potatoes. “And when pumpkins fall to the ground, they break open. Watch could never have cleaned up all the pieces of a broken pumpkin head.”
“That’s true,” Henry said. “I never thought of that. Good detective work, Benny!”
“But why did you go into the woods?” Jessie asked. She handed Benny a napkin. Gravy was running down his chin.
“Since Watch had a piece of Sam’s pants, I thought that he might know where Sam was. We searched everywhere. I followed Watch to the fence. Something there made him bark a lot. I found some of Sam’s straw on the ground by the fence. Then I got stuck.” Benny rubbed his sore leg.
“Looks like you have another mystery on your hands,” said Grandfather.
“One thing is for sure,” Henry said. “Scarecrows cannot get down from their posts all by themselves.”
“That’s right,” said Benny. “Even the scarecrow in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ needed Dorothy’s help! And he could talk!”
“But if Watch did not pull Sam down, who did?” Jessie tapped her fork on the table. “And who would want to steal a scarecrow?”
Violet rested her arms on the table and leaned toward her brother. “Benny,” she said, “I think Sam has been kidnapped!”
“No, Violet,” Benny said. “He’s been scarecrow-napped!” |