Treasure Hunt

As the school bus rumbled to a stop at the end of Mockingbird Lane, Abigail and Phoebe gathered their backpacks and lunch boxes and stepped out into the aisle. Ahead of them, their friend and neighbor, Joey, stopped next to the bus driver and waited for him to open the door. Joey was one grade ahead of Abigail, he was in the sixth grade.The three children stepped down the steps and turned to wave to Dickie, the driver. “Bye” all four chorused.

Dickie closed the door “Have a wonderful summer” and slowly drove away. Joey raced to the row of mailboxes at the side of the road. Five boxes each on their own post representing each one of the houses on Mockingbird Lane.

“Look! You guys got a box,” Joey yelled out. He opened the latch on his mailbox and gathered up the mail sitting inside.

Abigail and Phoebe trotted to the other end of the row and looked down at the brown box sitting underneath. Abigail said “That’s weird, there’s no name or address on the box. Since the girls picked up the mail everyday after school they had been taught to never open mail that was not addressed to them. She looked at Phoebe and asked “How do we know who it’s for?” Phoebe bent down and stared at the mysterious brown box. Joey came running over tucking his mail into his backpack.

With his eleven year old voice of authority he said, “Since there is no name or address on it, you won’t get in trouble for opening it. Why don’t I drop my stuff off at my house and I can tell my mom I’m going to your house. Then we can open it and see what it is and who it is supposed to be for!”

Abigail opened their mailbox and gathered the contents. Snapping it shut she said, “Okay!” She bent down and picked up the box. “It feels so light!” She shook it and said, “It seems like it’s empty. The three headed down the gravel lane and came to a stop in front of the first house, Joey’s house. He jogged down the driveway and entered the side door to the garage. As the girls waited Phoebe walked over to the purple lilac bush at the end of the driveway. She breathed in the fragrance.

“I love these!”

Abigail joined her and smelled one of the clusters of flowers. “So do I!”Just then they heard Joey’s garage side door slam and Joey came bounding up to them. All three turned to walk the short distance to the end of Mockingbird lane where Abigail and Phoebe lived in a picturesque cottage. Colorful flowers framed the front of the house. They traipsed up the front steps and opened the door.

“Mumsy, we’re home” Abigail called. She turned and looked at the other two with delight. “I smell cookies!” She kicked off her shoes dropped the brown box and ran towards the kitchen, Phoebe and Joey on her heels. Carolina was pulling a cookie sheet out of the oven.

“Hi girls, hi Joey! How was school today? Here you can each take one!” She set the pan down and held out a plate of cookies.

“Mmmm! Chocolate chip, my favorite. Thank you Mumsy!” Phoebe said giving her mother a hug.

Abigail put the mail on the counter and ran back to the front door to retrieve the suspicious box she had left there. She brought it into the kitchen and Phoebe and Joey crowded around her.

“What is that?” Carolina questioned as she removed cookies from the hot pan to a cooling rack.

“Mumsy, it’s a box we found sitting under the mailbox. There is no name or address written on it and it feels suspiciously empty. It’s a mystery.” Abigail said shrugging her shoulders. She looked at Joey and Phoebe and said “Let’s open it!” The three children dove in, tearing off the brown paper that was wrapped around the box. Carolina stepped over picking up the torn pieces of paper. Abigail peeled the tape that was sealing the box. She carefully opened the flaps and looked inside. “I think it is empty.” She sighed and turned the box upside down.

Phoebe gasped and pointed to a brown piece of paper that was fluttering down to the floor. “Look!”

Joey reached down and picked up the piece of paper. “There’s something written on it!”He read out loud

TO THE CHILDREN ON MOCKINGBIRD LANE:

A TREASURE AWAITS YOU IF YOU HUNT FOR THE CLUES!

CLUE # 1:

MY STARS AND STRIPES WAVE PROUDLY

Joey held the paper in his hands and looked at both girls. “Stars and stripes?” He glanced down at the striped shirt he was wearing.

Phoebe spoke up “The American flag! You know, we have them in every classroom at school!”

Abigail exclaimed “I think we should look for the answers to the clues right here on Mockingbird Lane. Don’t you think? I know, Our next door neighbor, Mr Weatherbee has a flag hanging by his front door!”

Joey said with excitement, “Let’s go see!” As the children scrambled to put their shoes on they didn’t notice Carolina reaching for her cell phone with a smile on her face.

The three raced to the neighbor’s house. The American flag was indeed mounted on a pole next to the front door. Joey got there first and was examining the flag on both sides. Phoebe pointed up, gasping for breath, “There is a note taped to the pole!” Joey saw it and grasped it and gently peeled it off the flagpole.

“Let me read this one!” Abigail exclaimed.

AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY

“The doctor? What does it mean?l Abby questioned.

“My mom says that all the time when I’m starving and want a snack. She wants me to eat an apple off our tree because we have a gazillion of them! “I bet it’s hidden on our apple tree because it’s the only apple tree on our street!” Joey whooped with glee. The three turned and raced to Joey’s house, Joey in the lead. Abigail waved to Mrs O’Leary who was rocking on her porch as they ran by. They ran around the back of Joey’s garage to the ancient apple tree In the back yard. Trying to catch their breath, they circled the tree. The tree was covered in tiny white blossoms.

“How pretty!” Phoebe exclaimed. As she circled the tree, ducking under low hanging branches. “I don’t see any apples but I think I see a clue!“ There was a hollow in the trunk about the size of Joey’s football and a brown piece of paper was folded into the crevice. “I want to read this one!” She said, holding out her hands.

Joey reached into the hollow and pulled out the note and handed it to Phoebe. “Here you go, Phoebes!” He said with affection as he handed Phoebe the clue.

She opened the note and read:

A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME

Abigail started to laugh. “What does that mean, a secret? Or do you think it has something to do with a bird. Mrs O’Leary loves birds and has all those cute birdhouses and hummingbird feeders. Do you suppose that’s where the next clue might be? Let’s ask her, I saw her sitting on her porch next door!”

Without another word, the three children ran next door to Mrs O’Leary’s house. She was sitting in a white rocking chair stroking a tiny terrier on her lap.

The children stopped respectfully. Joey spoke up “Mrs O”Leary, sorry to disturb you but we are on a treasure hunt and we think there could be a clue in one of the bird feeders! The clue is this, A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME” He showed he the slip of brown paper with the clue printed on it.

“Ah yes, children, there is indeed a clue for you here! A little bird told me about your adventure!” She pointed to a miniature Victorian cottage sitting on the porch railing. There was an artificial bird perched on the post jutting out from the round opening to the tiny house. There was a folded brown piece of paper in it’s beak.

“May I?” Joey asked gesturing towards the birdhouse.

“Yes, of course, Lad! Enjoy your treasure hunt!” Mrs O’Leary laughed.

Joey needed no further encouragement as he waked quickly to the porch railing and grabbed the note. “It says,” he began

GO BACK TO SQUARE ONE WHERE YOUR ADVENTURE BEGAN

The three children were silent, each pondering the clue. “The mailboxes?” Phoebe asked. “That’s where the box with the first clue was.”

“Let’s go see!” Abigail blurted. The children raced off to the end of Mockingbird Lane hearing the tinkle of Mrs O’Leary’s lilting laughter. They halted at the row of mailboxes. Joey walked around the row examining the backside of the mailboxes. Abigail started opening each latch, one by one, snapping each one shut with disappointment. But sharp eyed Phoebe exclaimed “Look, there’s a red ribbon hanging under our mailbox! And a note!” She bent down and released it from the nail it was hanging on. “Ooh a key!” She handed the note and key to Abigail who immediately opened it. She read:

AT THE END OF THE LANE IN THE MEADOW BEYOND THE TREES,

YOUR TREASURE IS WAITING

“Our house is the last one on the lane, the meadow is past the trees behind our house!” Phoebe shouted.

The three children ran down the lane up to Abigail and Phoebe’s cottage and around to the back. Abigail led the way down a path through the trees into the meadow. She stopped suddenly and said “Wow!” Joey and Phoebe also halted and gasped in delight. In front of them where there had been an open field, was a child sized cottage straight out of a story book. It was painted a soft yellow and had white shutters framing small windows. On either side of the front door were red tulips and yellow daffodils blooming and a cute little birdhouse mounted on a post.

“Whoa… is that a playhouse for us?” Joey questioned.

There was a noise behind them as though someone was clearing their throat. The children whirled around and gasped when they saw Abigail and Phoebe’s mother, the neighbors, Mr Weatherbee, Mrs O’Leary and Joey’s mom all standing there with big smiles on their faces.

“Ah yes children,” Mr. Weatherbee spoke up, “I built this playhouse for you and for my grandchildren, when they come to visit! After all, today is the last day of school for the year and summer vacation starts right now! Who has the key tied to the red ribbon? Please open the door!”

Abigail leapt forward with the key clasped in her hand and ran to the little door. She inserted It in the keyhole under the door handle and turned. The door swung open and the three children dashed in to see the inside. Abby turned back and said “Mr. Weatherbee, thank you so much! This is the best treasure, EVER!”

Phoebe ran out of the little house and ran up to Mr. Weatherbee and wrapped her arms around him and squeezed the biggest hug her tiny arms could give. Mr. Weatherbee chuckled and said “You kids, just enjoy and have fun and have a lovely summer vacation!”