TBC 102: The Ghost of the Chattering Bones by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Author:Gertrude Chandler Warner [Warner, Gertrude Chandler]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781453228920
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Published: 2011-03-19T06:00:00+00:00

Violet, who knew the verse by heart, was repeating the lines to herself when she suddenly heard something. What on earth was that noise? What could be—wait! She recognized that sound!

Violet slipped quickly out of bed. She gave her sister a shake. “Jessie,” she whispered. “Jessie, wake up. Benny was right!”

Jessie sat up in bed. “What …?” Her voice was thick with sleep.

“I can hear water rushing over rocks!” Violet cried, rubbing her arms to take away the chill. “Listen.”

Jessie sat very still for a moment. Then she said, “Your ears must be sharper than mine, Violet. I can’t hear any—oh!”

Violet looked at her sister. “You can hear it, too, can’t you?”

Jessie nodded her head slowly. For a moment, she was too astonished to speak. But she quickly pulled herself together. She was out of bed in a flash. She went over to the window and looked out. All she could see was inky darkness.

“Do you think it’s true, Jessie?” asked Violet, who had just come up behind her. “Do you think that’s the ghost of the Chattering Bones?”

“I don’t know what to think,” Jessie admitted in a hushed voice. “But one thing’s for sure,” she added. “Something very definitely odd is going on!”

Violet looked at Jessie. Jessie nodded back. They were remembering their promise to Benny. It was time to do some investigating.

As they stepped out into the hall, another door opened. It was Henry and Benny.

“You were right, Benny,” said Violet. “We just heard it.”

“It’s the ghost of the Chattering Bones,” Benny stated. “Henry heard it, too.”

“I heard something,” Henry corrected as he led the way downstairs. “But that doesn’t mean there’s a ghost out there.”

When they got to the kitchen, Henry reached for a long flashlight that was hanging on a hook by the back door. Then he turned to his little brother.

“Are you sure about this, Benny?” he asked. “Are you sure you want to go out there?”

“I’m sure,” Benny said bravely.

With a nod, Henry opened the door and they filed outside. Closing the door behind them, they tiptoed down the creaky porch steps. Then, with the beam of the flashlight sweeping across the grass, they made their way closer to the bridge—and to the sound of rushing water. Then Benny suddenly stopped. He had seen something the others hadn’t.

“There’s somebody up there,” he whispered.

Sure enough, a shadowy figure was moving across the bridge.

Henry beamed his flashlight upward. “Who’s there?” he yelled.

As the Aldens gave chase, Benny suddenly tripped and went sprawling. The others waited while he scrambled to his feet. But when they raced off again, it was too late.

Whoever had been on that bridge had escaped.

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