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儿童英语读物 The Chocolate Sundae Mystery CHAPTER 8 The Trail Is Cold

时间:2017-08-14 07:38:03

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(单词翻译)

The Aldens left for work early the next morning with Watch. “Henry and I can take him for a walk after we talk to Mr. Brown,” Benny explained.

“But won’t he keep you from your detective work?” Jessie asked. “You know how Mrs. Saunders dislikes dogs.”

“Oh, we’ll drop him off at home when we come to pick up our bicycles,” Henry said. Watch wagged his tail and nuzzled Henry’s knee. He loved it when the Aldens took him for a morning walk.

As soon as the Aldens were down the street from the Shoppe, they knew something was wrong. Mr. Brown and two police officers were roping off the entrance to the Shoppe.

“What happened?” Benny cried as he ran toward the entrance. The others soon caught up with him. At once they could see the parlor1’s big picture window had been smashed. Pieces of glass lay all over the sidewalk.

“Watch your step. Don’t cut yourself on the glass,” one of the police officers warned them. “And keep that dog away from here,” the other one said.

Mr. Brown greeted the Aldens with a grim face. “Good morning,” he said. “As you can see, we’ve had some excitement here.”

“When did this happen?” Henry asked.

“I don’t know,” Mr. Brown answered shaking his head. “I found it like this when I arrived early this morning. I think I’m going to have to close the parlor today. I put Brian and Simone to work in the kitchen making ice cream.”

“Oh, could Violet and I stay to help them?” Jessie suggested politely.

“Well, if you insist, I won’t say no,” Mr. Brown answered. He looked at Jessie kindly2, but Jessie could tell his mind was still on the broken window. As if reading the children’s thoughts, Mr. Brown added, “But I won’t be needing all of you. We won’t have any customers today.”

Henry looked at Benny. “That’s fine Mr. Brown,” Henry said. “Benny and I can just take the day off.”

Mr. Brown nodded absentmindedly. “Very well, I’ll see you boys tomorrow then.”

Henry turned to Watch. “And now you can get your morning walk, Watch. Would you like that?”

Watch was not paying any attention. He strained at his leash3 and sniffed4 the ground, trying to go closer to the broken window.

“Watch, what’s the matter?” Henry asked.

“There’s some strawberry ice cream that dripped onto the street. It’s by the broken glass. He probably wants to lick it,” one of the police officers suggested. Henry looked down and saw that a trail of strawberry ice cream led down the street.

“Do you know how the window got broken?” Henry asked the officer.

“That’s the strange thing,” Mr. Brown answered for everyone. “The police seem to think it was broken from the inside because the glass is all outside,on the sidewalk. But I can’t believe it. I left the parlor securely locked last night and there’s no sign of a break-in.”

“Was anything taken from the parlor?” Henry asked. “Like more ice cream?”

“No, not that I noticed,” Mr. Brown answered, but he sounded a little unsure. The Aldens looked at one another.

“I’ll check the container of strawberry ice cream,” Jessie muttered to Henry as she waved good-bye to her brothers and Watch.

“Do you know how far this trail of strawberry ice cream goes?” Benny asked the police.

“Oh, that,” one of the officers answered. “There’s bound to be ice cream dripped on the ground near an ice cream parlor,” she said. “I wouldn’t pay too much attention to it.”

Benny looked at Henry. “Why don’t we follow it,” he suggested. Henry shrugged5 and nodded. He had to tug6 Watch’s leash very hard before the dog finally budged7.

When Watch saw there was more ice cream down the street, he wagged his tail and finally started walking. “Don’t lick it, Watch!” Henry protested as Watch sat down at the street corner where there seemed to be a lot of ice cream.

“Whoever it was must have stopped to wait for a red light,” Benny suggested. Henry nodded.

The boys followed Watch and the ice cream trail all the way down the next block. There was much less ice cream on the street now, and Watch soon lost interest.

“You know, Benny, we may very well be on a wild goose chase,” Henry told his brother. “Lots of people walk down these streets with their cones9 or cartons of ice cream dripping. Anyone could have spilled part of their cone8, just like the police said.”

Watch had now stopped to look at a cat. The cat climbed further up into the branches of one of the oak trees that lined Greenfield’s Main Street.

“I know.” Benny sounded a little disappointed. “But don’t you think it’s strange that only strawberry ice cream is on the sidewalk this morning? And it looks pretty fresh,” he added.

“That’s true,” Henry said thoughtfully. “We did sell lots of other flavors yesterday.” Henry paused to tell Watch to stop barking at the cat. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

“Benny, don’t you remember they were cleaning the streets last night!” Henry exclaimed.

Benny nodded excitedly. “Yes! That proves this ice cream was spilled after the Shoppe closed. And it leads right from the broken glass. I’m sure this is a good clue.” Benny couldn’t wait to ask Jessie if she’d noticed any missing strawberry ice cream.

“We might as well keep following this trail and see where it goes,” Henry suggested. The boys continued down the street with Watch. The trail of ice cream led them toward an alleyway.

Benny looked closely at the ground. He could see a spot or two of pink ice cream.

The boys followed the trail through the alley10 and down a side street. When they thought they had reached a dead end, Henry found smudged pink fingerprints11 on the fender of a car and on a store window. So, off they went again. The trail skirted the side streets and led down another alley.

“I’m really glad this person was a slow eater,” Benny said as he hurried to keep up with Henry and Watch.

“A slow and messy eater,” Henry said, “judging from all the fingerprints we’ve seen so far.” Soon the boys were in a very rundown section of Greenfield.

“This is where the old textile mill used to be,” Henry said. Henry and Benny could see old abandoned buildings in the distance. Garbage littered the sidewalk. They walked by small houses with broken windows and overgrown yards, where junked cars had been left to rust12 outside.

“You know, I think we’ve come to the end of the trail,” Henry said. The boys stood in the front yard of a small house that was badly in need of repair. The porch steps sagged13. The paint was peeling, and the yard was overgrown with weeds and dandelions.

Just then a woman came out of one of the houses down the street. “Are you boys looking for someone?” she asked.

“Uh, we were just walking our dog,” Benny explained.

Henry cleared his throat. “You know, we were looking for some ice cream,” he said.

“Ice cream?” The woman gave Henry a blank look.

“Yes, ice cream,” Henry repeated. “You don’t know of anyone around here who brought home a lot of strawberry ice cream last night, do you?”

The woman smiled. “Sorry,” she answered shaking her head. “I know lots of people who would like ice cream, but the children around here can’t afford to buy much.”

Henry and Benny nodded.

“Well, you’d best be going on home now,” the woman advised. “Do you know where you’re going?”

“Yes,” Henry said tugging14 at Watch’s leash. The boys turned around and walked up the street. They didn’t look back. If they had, they would have seen the woman staring after them. When Henry and Benny turned the corner, she walked up to one of the houses and knocked on the door.

Jessie and Violet spent their morning in the Shoppe’s kitchen. As soon as she could, Jessie checked the supply of strawberry ice cream at the counter. She opened the glass case, which always had steam on it because the ice cream was so cold.

She picked up the container of strawberry ice cream and looked at it closely. It didn’t have a small layer of frost on it like the others did. She was almost sure the container looked emptier than it had yesterday.

“Well, at least no one cleaned us out,” she thought to herself. But it looked as if someone had taken enough to make a few cones. Jessie decided15 she would count the number of cones and cartons in the supply closet before she left.

Jessie and Simone spent the day preparing salads for the next day’s lunch. Jessie washed lettuce16 and cut up tomatoes. Simone made a big bowl of chicken salad.

Around noon, Mr. Brown told Simone she had a visitor. Simone went out to speak to him and left Jessie cutting up celery.

Jessie quickly excused herself and went outside. Without being too obvious, Jessie followed Simone and her friend down the street. When they stopped at the corner, Jessie popped into the drugstore across the street so she could still watch them.

“May I help you?” the woman at the counter asked Jessie. Jessie bought a small package of tissues and continued to look out the window.

Simone and her friend talked without ever looking up. Jessie looked at Simone’s companion more closely. She knew she had seen him before. He was the red-haired customer who often talked to Simone at the counter.

Simone and her friend kept talking. The sales clerk in the drugstore gave Jessie a strange look. Jessie wished there was some way she could hear what Simone was saying.

After a few minutes, though it seemed much longer to Jessie, Simone waved good-bye and started walking back to the Shoppe. She never noticed Jessie following her across the street.

Meanwhile, Violet helped Brian and Mr. Brown make more ice cream toppings. Brian worked very hard all day. He didn’t talk much. And Violet didn’t see him doing anything at all suspicious.

Henry and Benny decided to have a snack when they got home with Watch. As they ate the peanut butter sandwiches Mrs. McGregor prepared, they told her all about their morning.

“Do I have to eat that?” Benny asked pointing to the plate of salad Mrs. McGregor had placed in front of him.

“Yes,” Mrs. McGregor said smiling. “It will give you energy while you bicycle after that ice cream truck.”

“We better leave soon,” Henry said as he looked at his watch. “I think she starts making her rounds before noon so she can get the lunch crowd.”

Benny swallowed some salad. “I’m ready,” he said.

Henry and Benny found Mrs. Saunders’ truck parked near the Ice Cream Shoppe. There was a long line of customers. Henry and Benny hid themselves and their bikes behind some bushes across the street near the drugstore.

When at last Mrs. Saunders’ truck moved on, the boys were ready. They followed her all over Greenfield. Everywhere they went, it was the same. Mrs. Saunders received customers, handed out cones or ice cream bars, and took her customers’ change.

“This is boring,” Benny said as he put his bicycle on the ground and crouched17 behind yet another tree trunk.

“I’ll say,” Henry agreed. “She’s so busy she’s not talking to her customers.”

It was almost dark when Mrs. Saunders began to count up all her money. She closed the windows of the truck and took her menu down. The boys followed her as she parked the truck in a lot near the school, then walked to a house nearby. They watched her go in her front door and turn on the light.

“I’m afraid we’re not going to have too much to tell Jessie and Violet about Mrs. Saunders,” Henry said as the boys pedaled home. Benny nodded wearily.

“But you know, Mrs. Saunders locks up her truck almost the same time as the Shoppe closes,” Henry observed. He looked at Benny. Benny looked too tired to talk.

“So,” Henry continued as he turned his bicycle at the corner, “she could be the one who breaks into the parlor late at night.”

“Maybe, but right now I’m too tired to think about it,” Benny moaned.

“But not too tired to eat dinner, I hope,” Henry teased.

Benny laughed and shook his head.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 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?
2 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。
3 leash M9rz1     
n.牵狗的皮带,束缚;v.用皮带系住
参考例句:
  • I reached for the leash,but the dog got in between.我伸手去拿系狗绳,但被狗挡住了路。
  • The dog strains at the leash,eager to be off.狗拼命地扯拉皮带,想挣脱开去。
4 sniffed ccb6bd83c4e9592715e6230a90f76b72     
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》
5 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》
6 tug 5KBzo     
v.用力拖(或拉);苦干;n.拖;苦干;拖船
参考例句:
  • We need to tug the car round to the front.我们需要把那辆车拉到前面。
  • The tug is towing three barges.那只拖船正拖着三只驳船。
7 budged acd2fdcd1af9cf1b3478f896dc0484cf     
v.(使)稍微移动( budge的过去式和过去分词 );(使)改变主意,(使)让步
参考例句:
  • Old Bosc had never budged an inch--he was totally indifferent. 老包斯克一直连动也没有动,他全然无所谓。 来自辞典例句
  • Nobody budged you an inch. 别人一丁点儿都算计不了你。 来自辞典例句
8 cone lYJyi     
n.圆锥体,圆锥形东西,球果
参考例句:
  • Saw-dust piled up in a great cone.锯屑堆积如山。
  • The police have sectioned off part of the road with traffic cone.警察用锥形路标把部分路面分隔开来。
9 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
10 alley Cx2zK     
n.小巷,胡同;小径,小路
参考例句:
  • We live in the same alley.我们住在同一条小巷里。
  • The blind alley ended in a brick wall.这条死胡同的尽头是砖墙。
11 fingerprints 9b456c81cc868e5bdf3958245615450b     
n.指纹( fingerprint的名词复数 )v.指纹( fingerprint的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Everyone's fingerprints are unique. 每个人的指纹都是独一无二的。
  • They wore gloves so as not to leave any fingerprints behind (them). 他们戴着手套,以免留下指纹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 rust XYIxu     
n.锈;v.生锈;(脑子)衰退
参考例句:
  • She scraped the rust off the kitchen knife.她擦掉了菜刀上的锈。
  • The rain will rust the iron roof.雨水会使铁皮屋顶生锈。
13 sagged 4efd2c4ac7fe572508b0252e448a38d0     
下垂的
参考例句:
  • The black reticule sagged under the weight of shapeless objects. 黑色的拎包由于装了各种形状的东西而中间下陷。
  • He sagged wearily back in his chair. 他疲倦地瘫坐到椅子上。
14 tugging 1b03c4e07db34ec7462f2931af418753     
n.牵引感v.用力拉,使劲拉,猛扯( tug的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Tom was tugging at a button-hole and looking sheepish. 汤姆捏住一个钮扣眼使劲地拉,样子显得很害羞。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
  • She kicked him, tugging his thick hair. 她一边踢他,一边扯着他那浓密的头发。 来自辞典例句
15 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。
16 lettuce C9GzQ     
n.莴苣;生菜
参考例句:
  • Get some lettuce and tomatoes so I can make a salad.买些莴苣和西红柿,我好做色拉。
  • The lettuce is crisp and cold.莴苣松脆爽口。
17 crouched 62634c7e8c15b8a61068e36aaed563ab     
v.屈膝,蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He crouched down beside her. 他在她的旁边蹲了下来。
  • The lion crouched ready to pounce. 狮子蹲下身,准备猛扑。

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