CHAPTER 1 A Tiny Traveler Pam wait for me Holly Hollister called to her sister She bent her head into the blustery February sleet storm as she ran down the school walk I will Pam replied then giggled Hurry or your pigtails may freeze straight out before we get home Hand in hand the sisters trotted along until they caught up with their two brothers Pete and Ricky Together the children ran the rest of the way Pete twelve was the oldest with Pam next She was ten Ricky seven and Holly six As they neared their home on Shoreham Road Ricky cried out Look Th ere’s an express truck in our driveway A man’s carrying in a crate Eager to fi nd out what was inside it the children doubled their speed Do you live here the expressman asked as they reached him Yes Pete replied Th en these are your pineapples the man said Pineapples the children chorused in surprise Who sent them 7
Th at’s a mystery the driver replied with a wink Th ey came all the way from Puerto Rico but there’s no sender’s name or address on the crate Th at’s funny said Pete Th e truckman lifted the crate to his shoulder and the children followed him to the kitchen door of their large rambling house which was on the shore of Pine Lake Pete opened the door and asked the man to set the crate on a table He signed the delivery book and the driver went off Just then little Sue Hollister a vivacious four-year old ran into the room Her eyes grew wide as saucers Oh Mother she cried out come and see our s’prise As the other children kicked off their boots and removed their coats Mrs Hollister a slender blond haired woman hurried into the kitchen She looked fi rst at the crate then at the children Pete tall good looking and wearing a crew cut was grinning broadly Blond pretty Pam had tiny dimples which now showed plainly Ricky who had red hair and freckles was peer ing through the slats of the crate Do you know anyone in Puerto Rico Mother Pam asked No Does Dad No Why Th en we have a mystery to solve Pete said excitedly A pineapple mystery Holly added Mrs Hollister smiled as she inspected the label on the crate Th e fruit is for us all right and from San Juan in Puerto Rico 8
Let’s open the crate Ricky urged Pete got a claw hammer and tore the strips of wood from the top What luscious looking pineapples Mrs Hollister said as she lifted one out Four eight twelve sixteen Holly counted Th ere are sixteen of them Where is Rico-Rico Sue asked cocking her head inquisitively As the others giggled Pam ran to get her geography book and found the map of the Caribbean islands It’s right here She showed Sue pointing out the second island east of Cuba San Juan is the capital It’s about two thousand miles from here Yikes Ricky exclaimed Th e pineapples came a long way At their mother’s suggestion the children carried the fruit into the pantry and put it on a shelf As Holly set one of the golden pineapples down she jumped back and shrieked still Everyone crowded around Oooh look In the crown of the pineapple lay a tiny lizard Th e little creature about six inches long was very How did he get in here Mother Holly asked Mrs Hollister said she supposed the lizard had crawled into the crate in Puerto Rico and had come all the way to the U S by boat Is he dead Ricky asked I hope not said kindhearted Pam 9
