儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Spider's Clue CHAPTER 1 Sam the Window Man

“Don’t forget about the ladder,” said Benny Alden, “You didn’t forget it, did you, Violet?”

Violet, who was ten, smiled at her six-year-old brother. “No, I didn’t, Benny,” she said. She looked down at her drawing of a man on a bike. There was a ladder lashed¹ to the top of the bike, and there were pails hanging over the handlebars. “How could I forget Sam’s ladder?”

“You’re doing a great job, Violet,” said twelve-year-old Jessie. “That looks just like Sam Snow, with his silver hair and his droopy mustache.”

“And that’s exactly the way Sam’s bike looks, too,” Henry pointed² out. “Violet even remembered Sam’s old rags tied to the ladder.” At fourteen, Henry was the oldest of the Aldens.

“You really are a wonderful artist, Violet,” Jessie said with pride.

Violet smiled gratefully at her older sister. “I think I am getting better,” she said in her soft voice. “But I still have a lot to learn.” Violet enjoyed drawing. And she was good at it, too.

It was a sunny afternoon, and the four Aldens—Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny—were sitting under a shady³ tree on the back lawn. They were making a special get-well card for their friend Sam the Window Man. Violet was drawing a picture to go on the front. The other Aldens were making up a poem to go inside. The Aldens’ dog, Watch, was dozing⁴ in the sun nearby.

Benny took a close look at Violet’s picture. “Purple?” His eyebrows⁵ suddenly shot up. “Does Sam use purple rags for washing windows?” he asked.

Violet laughed a little. “Probably not.” Purple was Violet’s favorite color, and she almost always wore something purple or violet. “But I wanted to make everything very colorful,” she explained.

“That was a good idea,” said Jessie. “Bright colors are very cheery.”

Benny looked over at their boxcar, with its coat of bright red paint. “Our old home always makes me feel cheery.”

Jessie brushed her hand across Benny’s hair. “It always makes me feel cheery, too,” she said.

After their parents had died, the Aldens had found an old abandoned boxcar in the woods. The boxcar was their home for a while until their grandfather found them. That’s when James Alden brought his grandchildren to live with him in his big white house in Greenfield. And the boxcar had come along, too. Now it had a special place in the backyard. The Aldens often used their old home as a clubhouse.

“I’m almost done.” Violet was adding a rainbow to her picture. “It should only take me another minute or two to finish.”

“I wish we could say the same thing,” said Jessie, sighing. “Making up poems isn’t easy. The important thing is to let Sam know that the whole town misses him.”

“And that we want him to get better soon,” added Benny.

For a moment, no one said a word. They were all too busy thinking. Jessie finally spoke⁶ up. “Maybe we could start out like this: With ladder and bucket, you ride through the town—”

After a pause, Benny put in, “Washing our windows—”

“Upstairs and down!” finished Henry.

Violet clapped her hands. “That sounds great!”

“Do you really think so?” Benny asked, and Violet nodded.

“I’ll jot⁷ it down in my notebook,” Jessie said. “Then we won’t forget how it goes.”

“Good thinking,” said Henry. They could always count on Jessie to be organized.

Benny was grinning from ear to ear. “I told you we could do it! Making up poems is easy once you get the hang of it.”

Sure enough, it didn’t take the children long to finish. After Jessie copied their poem onto the get-well card, she read it out loud.

    With ladder and bucket,

    You ride through the town,

    Washing our windows,

    Upstairs and down.

    You make everything sparkle⁸,

    Wherever you go,

    So get well very soon,

    We miss you, Sam Snow!

The children each signed their names to the card.

“I hope Sam does get better soon,” said Benny.

Jessie nodded. “We all hope so, Benny. It won’t be the same without Sam the Window Man riding all over town.”

“That’s for sure,” said Henry. “Grandfather says Sam’s been washing windows in Greenfield for almost forty years.”

Benny looked over at Henry. “Did Sam get hurt falling off a ladder?”

Henry shook his head. “He got hurt falling off his bike. A dog ran out into the street right in front of him,” he explained. “When Sam swerved⁹ away, he ran into a tree.”

Benny frowned. “Sam will get better, won’t he?”

“Don’t worry, Benny.” Henry put his arm around his younger brother. “Sam hurt his hip¹⁰ when he fell. He’s supposed to take it easy for a few weeks. But the doctor says he’ll be fine.”

“Oh, I hope so!” said Benny. Then he added, “I can’t wait to give Sam our get-well card.”

“We’ll walk over there a bit later,” Jessie told him. “Just as soon as Mrs. McGregor’s cookies are out of the oven.” Mrs. McGregor was the Aldens’ housekeeper¹¹ and a wonderful cook.

Benny sniffed¹² the air. “I can smell chocolate chips.”

“Oh, Benny!” Violet teased¹³. “I think you could smell food a mile away.”

“Ten miles away,” said Benny.

They all laughed. The youngest Alden was always hungry.

They laughed even harder when Benny added, “Maybe I should sample one of those cookies for Mrs. McGregor.” He jumped to his feet. “Just to be sure they turned out okay.”

“Mrs. McGregor’s cookies always turn out okay,” Henry reminded him. “In fact, they always turn out great.”

But Benny wasn’t listening. He was already racing¹⁴ full speed across the lawn, with Watch close behind.

Violet began to gather up her colored pencils. “I hope our card makes Sam smile,” she said.

“I’m sure it will,” Henry told her. “And if it doesn’t do the trick, Mrs. McGregor’s cookies will.”

“That’s true,” agreed Jessie. She helped Violet slip her colored pencils into a pencil case. “I hope so, anyway,” she added. “Sam hasn’t been very cheery lately.”

“I know,” said Henry. “He says he’s turning into an old grouch¹⁵.”

Jessie laughed. She knew Sam Snow could never be an old grouch. He had a smile and a kind word for everyone. He always said he didn’t have customers—he had friends. “Sam enjoys working,” she said. “It must be hard for him to take it easy.”

Violet nodded. “He really loves his job. He even washes windows for free sometimes. Especially for older people on tight budgets.”

Henry, Jessie, and Violet were still talking about Sam when Benny came racing back across the lawn. He slid to a stop, staring wide-eyed at his brother and sisters.

“That was fast, Benny,” observed Henry. “Did Mrs. McGregor’s cookies pass the test?” he added with a twinkle in his eye.

Benny blinked¹⁶. “Oops! I forgot all about the cookies.”

The other Aldens looked at one another in surprise. It wasn’t like Benny to forget about food.

Jessie looked worried. “What is it, Benny?” She often acted like a mother to her younger brother and sister.

Benny’s big eyes grew even rounder. “Mrs. McGregor just told me something,” he said. “Something very strange!”

“What was it?” Henry wanted to know.

Benny knelt down on the grass. “Mrs. McGregor told me Sam got an invitation in the mail today!”

Violet looked puzzled. “What’s strange about that, Benny?”

Benny leaned closer. “It was an invitation to a mystery!”

Henry gave a low whistle. “I’ve never heard of being invited to a mystery.”

“It is odd,” Violet said.

“Sam’s hoping we’ll help him,” Benny went on. “He knows we like mysteries.”

Henry spoke for them all. “Of course we’ll help!”

“Did Mrs. McGregor say anything else?” Jessie wanted to know.

Benny shook his head. “She was talking to Sam on the phone when I went inside. She only stopped long enough to tell me about the invitation.”

Jessie wondered out loud, “Who in the world would send out an invitation to a mystery?”

“I’m sure Sam will tell us all about it when we see him today,” answered Henry.

“Let’s go over there right now!” Benny suggested. The youngest Alden never liked to be kept in suspense¹⁷. “What are we waiting for?”

“Mrs. McGregor,” Henry reminded him. “She’s going with us, remember?”

“Then let’s go see if Mrs. McGregor’s ready to—”

Before Benny could finish the thought, Jessie was on her feet and sprinting¹⁸ across the lawn, Violet at her heels.

Henry raced after them, saying, “Come on, Benny!”

The children found Mrs. McGregor in the kitchen.

“Something sure smells good in here!” said Henry.

Mrs. McGregor smiled over at them. “The cookies are still warm from the oven,” she said as she tied a red ribbon around a bag of cookies. “Just the way Sam likes them.”

“Just the way I like them, too,” put in Benny.

Mrs. McGregor took a quick glance at the clock. “Are you almost ready to walk over?”

Jessie laughed. “That’s just what we were going to ask you.”

Before they left, Benny showed Mrs. McGregor their get-well card. “We made it ourselves,” he told her proudly.

Mrs. McGregor caught her breath when she saw Violet’s drawing. “What a fine picture of Sam, Violet.” She opened the card and read the poem. “Goodness, I had no idea the Aldens were such wonderful poets!”

“Oh, we are!” said Benny. “We’re poets and we didn’t even know it.”

They all laughed at Benny’s funny rhyme.

They said good-bye to Watch. Then Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny filed out the door behind Mrs. McGregor.

Sam’s little yellow house was just a short walk from the Aldens’. As they got closer, the children noticed a car parked in Sam’s driveway.

Violet hesitated. “It looks like Sam already has company,” she said. “Maybe we should come back another time.”

Benny looked disappointed. “But we’re almost at Sam’s house,” he pointed out. “And we brought a card—and cookies!”

“That’s true,” said Mrs. McGregor. “We really should stop in for a moment.”

Just then, something caught Jessie’s eye. Across the street, a heavyset man was standing¹⁹ on the curb²⁰, his eyes fixed²¹ on the little yellow house. The man had silver hair—just like Sam’s. When he noticed Jessie watching him, he ducked behind the trees.

“Did you see that?” Jessie whispered to Henry.

“See what?”

“Somebody was standing over there,” she told him in a low voice. “When he saw us, he disappeared.”

“He was probably a friend of Sam’s,” guessed Henry. “Maybe he decided²² to come back later, when Sam doesn’t have so much company.”

“Maybe so,” said Jessie. But she didn’t sound very sure. The man had disappeared too quickly—almost as though he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t. Jessie couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

1 lashed   

adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• The rain lashed at the windows. 雨点猛烈地打在窗户上。
• The cleverly designed speech lashed the audience into a frenzy. 这篇精心设计的演说煽动听众使他们发狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 pointed   

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。

3 shady   

adj.成荫的，多荫的，可疑的，靠不住的

参考例句：

• This is a shady avenue.这是条林阴大道。
• He's a rather shady person.他是个相当靠不住的人。

4 dozing   

v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡

参考例句：

• The economy shows no signs of faltering. 经济没有衰退的迹象。
• He never falters in his determination. 他的决心从不动摇。

5 eyebrows   

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。

6 spoke   

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。

7 jot   

n.少量；vi.草草记下；vt.匆匆写下

参考例句：

• I'll jot down their address before I forget it.我得赶快把他们的地址写下来，免得忘了。
• There is not a jot of evidence to say it does them any good.没有丝毫的证据显示这对他们有任何好处。

8 sparkle   

vi.闪，焕发；n.闪光，闪烁，活力

参考例句：

• Dewdrops sparkle in the morning sun.露珠在早晨的阳光下闪着光。
• There was a sudden sparkle as her diamond ring caught the light.当她的钻石戒指遇到光时，有阵突然的闪耀。

9 swerved   

v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She swerved sharply to avoid a cyclist. 她猛地急转弯，以躲开一个骑自行车的人。
• The driver has swerved on a sudden to avoid a file of geese. 为了躲避一队鹅，司机突然来个急转弯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

11 housekeeper   

n.管理家务的主妇，女管家

参考例句：

• A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
• She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家，一家人吃得很省。

12 sniffed   

v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说

参考例句：

• When Jenney had stopped crying she sniffed and dried her eyes. 珍妮停止了哭泣，吸了吸鼻子，擦干了眼泪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger. 狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 teased   

v.取笑，戏弄( tease的过去式和过去分词 )；梳理（羊毛等）

参考例句：

• He took a screwdriver and teased out the remaining screws. 他拿出螺丝刀把其余的螺丝卸了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I felt annoyance at being teased. 我恼恨别人取笑我。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

15 grouch   

n.牢骚，不满；v.抱怨

参考例句：

• He's always having a grouch about something.他总是发脾气抱怨这个抱怨那个。
• One of the biggest grouches is the new system of payment.人们抱怨最多的一点就是这种新的支付方式。

16 blinked   

眨眼睛( blink的过去式 )； 闪亮，闪烁

参考例句：

• He blinked in the bright sunlight. 他在强烈的阳光下直眨眼睛。
• The boy blinked up at me in some surprise. 那男孩有些吃惊地眨着眼看我。

17 suspense   

n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑

参考例句：

• The suspense was unbearable.这样提心吊胆的状况实在叫人受不了。
• The director used ingenious devices to keep the audience in suspense.导演用巧妙手法引起观众的悬念。

18 sprinting   

v.短距离疾跑( sprint的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Stride length and frequency are the most important elements of sprinting. 步长和步频是短跑最重要的因素。 来自互联网
• Xiaoming won the gold medal for sprinting in the school sports meeting. 小明在学校运动会上夺得了短跑金牌。 来自互联网

19 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

20 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

21 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

22 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。