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儿童英语读物 The Mystery in the Fortune Cookie CHAPTER 10 An Answer to a Rhyme

时间:2017-11-08 06:41来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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“He did it!” Benny exclaimed. “Martin stole Dottie’s half of the bookstore. I just know it!”

“What can we do?” Violet asked in alarm.

“I’m not sure,” said Jessie. “But we have to do something. Right, Henry?”

Henry didn’t answer. He was staring into the dining room, watching Martin remove a small velvet1 box from his jacket pocket.

“Wait!” Henry said. “Isn’t that the box from the jewelry2 store? The one the sales-clerk tried to show Martin?”

The others followed Henry’s gaze.

“Martin said he was looking at watches,” Benny remembered. “But that box is too small for a watch.”

Suddenly, Henry understood. “What if Martin wasn’t looking at watches at all?” he said slowly. “What if he was really at the jewelry store looking at something else?”

“Like what, Henry?” asked Violet.

“Like a diamond ring!” Henry answered.

“Oh, Henry!” Violet put a hand over her mouth in surprise. “You think Martin’s asking Dottie to marry him?”

“I can’t be sure,” Henry admitted. “But it’s possible.”

“You could be right, Henry,” Jessie realized. “The rings and the watches were in the same display case.”

“And that would explain what Auntie Two meant about one name on the door to The Underground!” said Violet. She sounded excited.

Benny looked confused. “I don’t get it.”

Violet smiled at her little brother. “If Dottie and Martin get married, then Dottie’s name will be Howard, too. So Howard will be the only name on the door!”

Benny’s eyes widened. “Dottie and Martin are getting married?”

“Let’s find out,” suggested Henry. Without another word, he led the way across the crowded dining room to Martin and Dottie’s table.

“The Aldens!” Auntie Two greeted the children with a smile. She looked surprised to see them. So did Martin and Dottie.

“You’re just in time to hear what my fortune says,” Dottie told them, her eyes shining. She read aloud the words on the little slip of paper:

“In a fortune cookie,

A question hides:

Dottie, will you be my bride?”

“Oh, a proposal in a fortune cookie!” Violet clasped her hands. “How romantic!”

Martin gave Dottie a questioning look. “I still don’t have an answer to my rhyme.”

“Of course I’ll marry you, Martin!” cried Dottie, blinking back the tears.

The Aldens looked at one another. That’s what the fortune meant about an answer to a rhyme!

Martin opened the small velvet box. Inside was a sparkling diamond ring! Without a word, he slipped the ring onto Dottie’s finger.

As the Aldens and Auntie Two laughed and clapped their hands, Lucy arrived with a beautiful heart-shaped cake edged with pink roses made of sugar. The lettering on top read: DOTTIE AND MARTIN FOREVER. And the i’s were dotted with candy hearts.

“My goodness! Another surprise!” Dottie exclaimed as Lucy set the cake on the table. “Did you plan this, too, Martin?”

He shook his head. “Noooo ... but I can guess who did.”

Lucy laughed. “It was teamwork. Auntie Two did the baking, and I did the decorating.”

Dottie smiled over at Lucy and Auntie Two. “So you were both in on this, were you?”

“From the beginning,” confessed Auntie Two. “Martin gave me his rhyming proposal yesterday, and I made a very special fortune cookie to put it in. I could hardly stand the suspense3 waiting for Martin’s okay to bring that fortune cookie over. I just knew you’d say yes!” she added.

The Aldens looked at one another. Now they knew what was in the envelope Martin had given Auntie Two — it was the fortune cookie proposal.

“I’ve been holding my breath, too,” Lucy confided4. “I was just waiting for my cue to bring out the cake.”

“I can’t help wondering who else was in on this,” Dottie said, smiling happily.

Jessie knew the answer to that one. “Angela helped, too, right?”

“Right,” responded Martin. “She played a very important part in my little game.”

“She sure did,” Henry realized. “Angela invented Fortune Cookie Delight!”

“Right again,” said Martin, gesturing for the four Aldens to sit down. “Please join the celebration.”

Benny didn’t need to be coaxed5. “This explains what you were doing in the jewelry store, Martin,” he said as everyone pulled up a chair.

Violet added, “You seemed so eager to get away from us.”

“I’m sorry about that, Violet,” apologized Martin. “I was afraid you’d find out I was looking at engagement rings. I knew if Dottie smelled anything fishy6 going on, it would ruin the surprise.”

“We didn’t figure it out for a while,” admitted Benny. “At first, we thought you were trying to steal Dottie’s half of the bookstore.”

“You thought I was a thief?” Martin asked in surprise.

Dottie laughed a little. “Martin did steal my heart. But that was his only crime.”

“I bet I can solve a mystery, too,” Lucy said as she dished up the cake.

“What mystery?” Benny wanted to know.

“The mystery of why you’re here,” she said. Her lips curled into a little smile. “You children don’t give up. You’ve been following the fortune cookie clues, haven’t you?”

“You should know,” answered Henry, watching the waitress closely. “After all, they were your invention. Right, Lucy?”

“How did you know?” the waitress asked in surprise.

Henry pointed7 to the cake. “You dotted the i’s on the cake with candy hearts,” he pointed out. “The i’s in the fortune cookie messages were dotted with hearts, too.”

“Oh, dear!” Lucy laughed a little. “I certainly gave myself away, didn’t I?”

“The messages really were meant for Dottie,” said Violet. “Weren’t they? That’s why you added the romantic hearts.”

Lucy didn’t deny it. “I overheard Martin telling Auntie Two about the special way he wanted to propose to Dottie — by taking her on a fortune cookie adventure.” She paused as she handed Benny his slice of cake. “I happen to be pretty good at making up codes and clues, so I offered my services. It’s my dream to become a mystery writer, you know. Just like my favorite author — Drum Keller. I just love The Fortune Cookie Mysteries! Anyway,” she said, smiling a little, “that’s how I got involved in this whole fortune cookie business. Unfortunately it didn’t go as smoothly8 as I’d planned. The cookies kept ending up with the four of you instead.”

Violet nodded in understanding. Lucy was the one Martin had been blaming for ruining everything.

“Now, don’t feel badly, Lucy,” Dottie said kindly9. “I was the one who insisted Benny open the first fortune cookie. And I wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“That’s true,” said Martin. “Why, Auntie Two even accused me of botching things up that night. She thought I might be getting cold feet.”

Jessie and Henry exchanged glances. That must have been the phone conversation they’d overheard at the coffee shop!

“Cold feet?” Benny was wrinkling his face. “What does that mean?”

“That means having second thoughts about proposing to Dottie,” explained Martin. “Of course, I wasn’t having second thoughts at all. But after all the mix-ups, I did give up on the mystery idea.”

Violet smiled as she took the cake the waitress handed her. “You know, Lucy, it wasn’t your fault at the ice cream parlor10, either,” she pointed out. “You’re not the one who got the cones11 mixed up.”

“True,” Martin agreed.

Lucy managed a weak smile. “I’ve been a nervous wreck12 all week,” she said. “I wanted so much to impress you, Martin.”

“Me?” Martin pointed to himself. Then he began to laugh. “Why would you want to impress me?”

Violet was fairly sure she knew the answer. “Because you figured out that Martin is Drum Keller. Right, Lucy?”

The waitress looked questioningly at Martin. “Is it true? Are you the famous author?”

It was obvious by the look on Martin’s face that he was shocked. “Why, no!”

Lucy looked surprised — and disappointed.

The Aldens were every bit as surprised as Lucy. They were so sure Drum Keller was someone they knew. And their hunches13 were usually right.

Benny was wondering about something else. He hesitated for a minute, then blurted14 out, “Why did you run away from us at the ice cream parlor, Lucy?”

After a brief silence, Lucy said, “The truth is, I was afraid you’d ask me a lot of questions about that fortune cookie. So I kept my distance.”

“Only you changed your mind and followed us, didn’t you?” said Henry.

Lucy looked embarrassed. “Yes, I did follow you,” she acknowledged. “I wanted to find out if you got Dottie’s fortune cookie by mistake again.”

Jessie nodded. “I felt someone watching us.”

“I’m sorry if I frightened you,” Lucy apologized. “I guess I wasn’t thinking straight.”

Henry turned to Martin. “Something puzzles me, too.”

“What is it?” Martin took a sip15 of water.

“If you gave up on the mystery idea,” said Henry, “then why did you leave the last fortune cookie in The Underground?”

“I simply forgot all about it, Henry.” Martin shrugged16 a little. “I’m afraid I wasn’t thinking straight, either.”

Aunt Jane, who had just come up behind them, said, “What’s this? A celebration of some kind?” As Aunt Jane pulled up a chair, Dottie held up her hand to show off the beautiful ring. “I just can’t believe it,” said Aunt Jane, smiling over at Dottie and Martin’s beaming faces. “This is the best news I’ve heard in a long time.”

Martin raised his water glass. “I’d like everyone to join me in a toast,” he said. “Fifteen years ago today this fine lady left her hometown of Keller’s Crossing and arrived in Elmford. Let’s drink a toast to my future bride — Dorothy Ruth Ursela May!”

Jessie’s jaw17 dropped. Everything suddenly clicked into place. “Oh, my goodness!” she cried, putting her hands to her mouth.

The others turned to look at her. “What’s the matter, Jessie?”

“I know the answer to another mystery,” she told them in an awestruck voice.

“Another mystery?” Martin asked.

“I know who Drum Keller is,” Jessie said. She looked right at Dottie Shallum.

Dottie lowered her eyes.

Benny looked confused. “But, Jessie, Drum Keller’s a man. Remember?”

“That’s just what we thought,” Jessie told him.

Again Dottie seemed to be pretending not to hear. Even Martin was strangely quiet.

“It all fits,” Jessie went on. “You came to Elmford fifteen years ago, Dottie. That’s when Drum Keller disappeared.”

“But Jessie — ” began Violet.

“That’s not all,” Jessie cut in. “The first letters in Dorothy Ruth Ursela May spell — ”

“DRUM!” Henry cried out, his voice rising with excitement.

Jessie nodded slowly. “And Keller is from the name of Dottie’s hometown — Keller’s Crossing! That’s the part that seemed familiar to me. I just couldn’t remember why.”

All eyes turned to Dottie. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out right away. For a long time, she didn’t say a word. Finally, she smiled. “I guess you’ve found me out,” she said. She looked around at all the faces staring at her. Then she took a deep breath and continued, “I wrote The Fortune Cookie Mystery series when I was living in Keller’s Crossing. My publishers wanted to keep my identity a secret. They thought it would be a good — ”

“Sales gimmick18?” put in Benny

“Exactly, Benny.” Dottie patted his hand. “They thought it would be a good sales gimmick to make Drum Keller very mysterious. The whole idea suited me just fine. You see, I was never interested in fame. It was always the writing I loved.”

Violet looked confused. “Then why did you suddenly stop, Dottie?”

“My husband became very ill.” Dottie looked at the children sadly. “After he died, I decided19 to stop writing the Drum Keller mysteries. My heart just wasn’t in it, anymore.”

“Dottie packed her bags,” said Martin, picking up where his partner had left off, “and came to Elmford to make a fresh start.”

“Martin and Auntie Two were the only ones who knew about my secret identity,” Dottie continued. “The publishing company simply announced that Drum Keller had disappeared.”

Jessie shot Henry a glance. No wonder Dottie wouldn’t part with those books in the cabinet. She was the author! That would explain Martin’s behavior, too. He was upset to hear the customer insulting Dottie’s books.

“When Benny found that strange message in his fortune cookie,” Dottie went on, “everything came rushing back to me. I remembered how much fun I used to have making up codes and clues.”

“Is that why you wanted to sniff20 out some clues with us?” asked Benny.

“Yes, Benny.” Dottie nodded. “I was also very curious. You see, I knew that first fortune cookie was meant for me. But I couldn’t figure out why someone had made it.”

“This is all my fault, Dottie,” said Martin. He looked troubled. “I never meant to betray your secret. But how could I know the Aldens would come along and figure everything out?”

Dottie waved this away. “I’m glad the truth is out, Martin. I’m tired of keeping the past a secret.” Turning to Lucy, she added, “I’d love to read some of your stories, Lucy. And who knows? Maybe I can even give you a few pointers.”

“Thank you.” Lucy sounded pleased. “I would love that!”

“I might even try writing another Drum Keller mystery,” added Dottie. “How would you feel about that, Martin?”

“It would make me very proud,” Martin replied, his voice filled with emotion.

“Will it be another mystery in a fortune cookie, Dottie?” Benny asked hopefully.

“You bet, Benny,” said the famous author. “You bet!”


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 velvet 5gqyO     
n.丝绒,天鹅绒;adj.丝绒制的,柔软的
参考例句:
  • This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒。
  • The new settlers wore the finest silk and velvet clothing.新来的移民穿着最华丽的丝绸和天鹅绒衣服。
2 jewelry 0auz1     
n.(jewllery)(总称)珠宝
参考例句:
  • The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
  • Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。
3 suspense 9rJw3     
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。
4 confided 724f3f12e93e38bec4dda1e47c06c3b1     
v.吐露(秘密,心事等)( confide的过去式和过去分词 );(向某人)吐露(隐私、秘密等)
参考例句:
  • She confided all her secrets to her best friend. 她向她最要好的朋友倾吐了自己所有的秘密。
  • He confided to me that he had spent five years in prison. 他私下向我透露,他蹲过五年监狱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 coaxed dc0a6eeb597861b0ed72e34e52490cd1     
v.哄,用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 );巧言骗取;哄劝,劝诱
参考例句:
  • She coaxed the horse into coming a little closer. 她哄着那匹马让它再靠近了一点。
  • I coaxed my sister into taking me to the theatre. 我用好话哄姐姐带我去看戏。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
6 fishy ysgzzF     
adj. 值得怀疑的
参考例句:
  • It all sounds very fishy to me.所有这些在我听起来都很可疑。
  • There was definitely something fishy going on.肯定当时有可疑的事情在进行中。
7 pointed Il8zB4     
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。
8 smoothly iiUzLG     
adv.平滑地,顺利地,流利地,流畅地
参考例句:
  • The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作,所以工作进展顺利。
  • Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。
9 kindly tpUzhQ     
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地
参考例句:
  • Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
  • A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。
10 parlor v4MzU     
n.店铺,营业室;会客室,客厅
参考例句:
  • She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
  • Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店?
11 cones 1928ec03844308f65ae62221b11e81e3     
n.(人眼)圆锥细胞;圆锥体( cone的名词复数 );球果;圆锥形东西;(盛冰淇淋的)锥形蛋卷筒
参考例句:
  • In the pines squirrels commonly chew off and drop entire cones. 松树上的松鼠通常咬掉和弄落整个球果。 来自辞典例句
  • Many children would rather eat ice cream from cones than from dishes. 许多小孩喜欢吃蛋卷冰淇淋胜过盘装冰淇淋。 来自辞典例句
12 wreck QMjzE     
n.失事,遇难;沉船;vt.(船等)失事,遇难
参考例句:
  • Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
  • No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。
13 hunches 647ac34044ab1e0436cc483db95795b5     
预感,直觉( hunch的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • A technical sergeant hunches in a cubicle. 一位技术军士在一间小屋里弯腰坐着。
  • We often test our hunches on each other. 我们经常互相检验我们的第六感觉。
14 blurted fa8352b3313c0b88e537aab1fcd30988     
v.突然说出,脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She blurted it out before I could stop her. 我还没来得及制止,她已脱口而出。
  • He blurted out the truth, that he committed the crime. 他不慎说出了真相,说是他犯了那个罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
15 sip Oxawv     
v.小口地喝,抿,呷;n.一小口的量
参考例句:
  • She took a sip of the cocktail.她啜饮一口鸡尾酒。
  • Elizabeth took a sip of the hot coffee.伊丽莎白呷了一口热咖啡。
16 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀,什么也没说。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩,装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
17 jaw 5xgy9     
n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训
参考例句:
  • He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
  • A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。
18 gimmick Iefzy     
n.(为引人注意而搞的)小革新,小发明
参考例句:
  • He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事,只当它是一种宣传手法。
  • It is just a public relations gimmick.这只不过是一种公关伎俩。
19 decided lvqzZd     
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。
20 sniff PF7zs     
vi.嗅…味道;抽鼻涕;对嗤之以鼻,蔑视
参考例句:
  • The police used dogs to sniff out the criminals in their hiding - place.警察使用警犬查出了罪犯的藏身地点。
  • When Munchie meets a dog on the beach, they sniff each other for a while.当麦奇在海滩上碰到另一条狗的时候,他们会彼此嗅一会儿。
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