The Happy Hollisters and the Punch And Judy Mystery
looked around the Hollisters back yard and said I don’t see Joey and Will They told me they’d come And what about Pam curly-haired Ann asked anxiously We can’t begin without all the Hollisters Pam the children chorused Where are you Ricky shouted It was ten-year-old Pam who had thought up the Punch and Judy show to raise money for a special project This was the Fifty Fund sponsored by the Shoreham newspaper to send fifty needy children to summer camp Then Pete had hit on the idea of earning fifty pounds of pennies He had weighed coins and found that there were one hundred forty-seven pennies in a pound Pam’s speedy arithmetic showed that fifty pounds of them would equal seventy-three dollars and fifty cents enough to give one boy or girl two weeks in camp For two weeks the Hollisters spacious rambling home on the shore of Pine Lake had been busy with the Punch and Judy preparations First Pam had borrowed a book of instructions from the library Using it the children had carved and painted the wooden faces dressed the little hand puppets in gay costumes and constructed the stage Now everything was set for the first show The neighborhood children had arrived on the Hollisters lawn and Pete as the showman had already fitted one of the puppets over each of his hands
Punch with his big curved nose and chin and a roguish grin was ready to perform on Pete’s right hand On his left was a long-snouted dragon Hurry Pam Where are you Holly called impatiently I’ll go find her Ann Hunter volunteered She was Pam’s age and had black hair which hung in ringlets Her gray eyes danced with excitement and her dimples showed as she ran off to look for her best friend Oh there you are cried Ann as she spied Pam standing next to the mailbox which stood in the shrubbery along the sidewalk The show can’t start without you I’ll be there in a minute Pam promised then added I wish Mr Barnes would hurry He’s late with the mail today You must be expecting an important letter Ann said with a sidewise look at her friend Oh no it’s not from a boy if that’s what you mean Pam said with a shake of her fluffy golden hair Then her brown eyes sparkled and she lowered her voice I’ll let you in on a secret but you mustn’t tell anyone As Ann promised a twig snapped in the bushes behind the girls but they were too busy talking to notice the noise Pam confided that she had entered an essay contest about a children’s book called The Mystery in Venice Winners were to be announced shortly
And guess what Ann First prize is a trip for two around the world As her friend’s eyes widened Pam explained that the second prize was a trip to Hawaii and the third prize a real palomino horse I can hardly wait to hear said Pam But I guess I’ll just have to be patient she added with a sigh and the two girls ran toward the Punch and Judy show As they disappeared around the house the bushes moved and two heads came out Joey Brill and his friend Will Wilson stood up Joey was Pete’s age but larger Will was big too and always tagged after Joey Both of them delighted in annoying smaller children and making trouble for the Hollisters Do you want to see the show Joey asked We were invited No it’ll probably be crummy Will said Then I know how to make some excitement Joey said He whispered to his companion and the pair crept off through the foliage working their way unseen toward the back of the Hollisters garage On the lawn Pam announced the show and Pete stepped into the back of the red booth The black shade popped up Punch stuck his saucy head over the edge of the stage and in a high falsetto voice said La-dies and gentlemen What a beautiful day to take a walk along the shore of Pine Lake Roo-to-to Roo-to-to-it Punch strutted back and forth bobbing his head and shaking his tall green hat as the onlookers giggled I used to be a tightrope walker once in the
circus Punch said I’ll see how close I can come to the shore without falling in The puppet wagged this way and that all the time singing Roo-to-to-to-to-it Finally he fell into the imaginary lake Pete shouted Splash and Punch popped up again at once Help me Save me he cried out I just remembered I can’t swim With that up from the water came the long snout of the green dragon as Pete deftly manipulated it Ow Punch cried I’m a goner for sure If I don’t drown the monster will eat me Eat you the funny-looking creature replied Who wants to eat an old wooden-head like you Why your nose alone is enough to scare small babies Don’t talk about my pretty nose Glub Glub Punch said going out of sight for a moment The monster turned to the audience Shall I save him Yes the children shouted Hurry piped little Sue loudly The dragon grabbed Punch’s hat in his mouth and pulled him back onto the stage There now Mr Punch you’re all right aren’t you the monster asked his big jaws moving up and down Yes but I’m all wet Punch complained shaking himself You got me wetter than I would have been looking How’s that the monster asked perplexed
