The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Little Mermaid
Dedication The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Little Mermaid is Volume 18 in a 33-book series The books are being reissued in honor of my grandfather Andrew Edward Svenson who began The Happy Hollisters series in 1953 using the pseudonym Jerry West The characters in the Hollister family were based in part on his family my grandmother father uncle and aunts and I am grateful to them for inspiring these books and for their support of this labor of love Marian S Svenson Elaine Hollister Andrew E Svenson Jr Pete Laura Svenson Schnell Pam Eric R Svenson Sr Ricky Jane Svenson Kossmann Holly Eileen Svenson de Zayas and Ingrid Svenson Herdman Sue Many thanks also to Callie and Libby Svenson for their editorial and marketing assistance Andrew E Svenson III The Svenson Group Inc on behalf of The Hollister Family Properties Trust What wonderful detectives you are
Contents 1 A Flying Mermaid 2 A Scooter Escape 3 Ricky Gets a Bump 4 Slippery Smorrebrod 5 A Cotton-candy Face 6 A Strange Tattoo 7 Mischievous Holly 8 A Ship’s Secrets 9 A Runaway Cheese 10 A Great Dane Race 11 A Sailing Adventure 12 Ricky the Bird Watcher 13 Pam’s Clever Idea 14 A Ghost Scare 15 Aerial Scouts 16 Lucky Ducks 17 An Old Ruin 18 Gift From a Queen 7 15 23 33 43 54 63 72 82 93 101 110 119 127 137 145 153 163
CHAPTER 1 A Flying Mermaid I see Denmark Pam Hollister exclaimed Where her brother Ricky asked excitedly and pressed his freckled nose against the airplane window Down through the clouds Look Pam’s cry had alerted the rest of the Hollister family In front of Pam and Pete were Ricky and Holly Back of them were their parents with little Sue dozing on her mother’s lap Now the little dark-haired girl sat up and gazed ea gerly through a big hole in the fluffy white clouds I see a fairy’s castle she exclaimed That’s the famous Kronborg Castle said the at tractive blond stewardess who was walking up the aisle Some people know it as Hamlet’s Castle and say the ghost of an old king still walks around Let’s go there and hunt for the ghost Ricky pro posed enthusiastically Who was Hamlet Holly called back Briefly Mrs Hollister explained that he was the hero in a play by William Shakespeare Kronborg’s towers rose high into the sky and sun shine glistened on the moat surrounding the castle 7
