The Mystery at the Fair by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Author:Gertrude Chandler Warner
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company

“Mr. Judge,” shouted Mrs. Stephens. “I’d like to have a word with you. This contest was not held in accordance with the rules. My cake should have received extra points for looking so good.” She followed the judge, talking loudly and waving her hands excitedly.

“Oh, no,” Courtney said. “Mrs. Stephens is at it again.”

“I wonder where Kristie is,” Violet said. “She was here before the contest started. I saw her when I was eating lunch but then she disappeared.”

“That’s strange,” Jessie said. “You’d think she’d want to be here since her mother was part of the competition.”

“This whole contest has been very peculiar,” Violet said.

The girls hurried over to congratulate the prizewinners.

“Now, you see,” Jessie said as she hugged Benny. “I told you that pie was a prizewinner.”

“Congratulations, boys,” Courtney said.

“I’m proud of all of you,” Violet said.

“Thank you,” Benny said. “Can we eat the rest of the pie now?”

“Of course,” the judge said with a laugh. “I think I’ll have another piece myself. That’s one of the best blueberry pies I have ever tasted.”

“You seemed to enjoy Mrs. Stephens’s lemon cake, too,” Henry said.

“No, I was very disappointed by that cake,” the judge said.

“Why?” Violet asked. “It looks so pretty.”

“Yes, it is a beautiful cake,” the judge agreed. “But it tastes awful. This blueberry pie isn’t very pretty, but it tastes wonderful!”

Everyone laughed. The judge cut a slice of pie for each one of them.

“We’d better go now,” Jessie said when everyone finished eating. “The crafts contest will be starting soon.”

The children arrived at the crafts tent a few minutes before the contest started. Mrs. Stephens was talking to the judge. She had Susie’s rag rug in her hand.

“As you can see,” Mrs. Stephens said as she pointed to the rug, “a sewing machine was used to make these stitches. The rules state that every entry in the crafts competition must be handmade or hand-sewn. I have a copy of the rules right here.”

“I know the rules,” the judge said. He examined the rug. Then he called for Susie to come forward. Susie talked with the judge for a few moments. She looked very upset. She folded her rug and ran out of the tent.

“I’m going to see if she’s all right,” Jessie said.

“We’ll save you a seat,” Henry said as the other children began to climb up the bleachers.

Jessie found Susie sitting outside on a bench.

“What’s the matter, Susie?” Jessie asked. “Why are you taking your rug out of the competition?”

“Mrs. Stephens had me disqualified because I used a sewing machine!” Susie said. “I didn’t even know about this rule. I’m so disappointed. I was hoping that my rug would win that event.”

Suddenly, Jessie noticed the man with the baseball cap. He was staring at them and writing something in a small notebook.

“There’s that man again,” Jessie said.

“Who is he?” Susie said. “I saw him at the pie contest, too.”

“I wonder what he’s up to now,” Jessie said. “He always seems to be around whenever there’s some trouble.”

The man glanced at the girls and quickly walked in the other direction.

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