Curious & Mysterious by Fun For Kidz

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Curious & Mysterious 3

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The Night We Met the Monster

Mystery of the Edmund Fitzgerald

The Mysteries of Chaco

10 Curiously Mysterious Animals 12 Two Science Mysteries to Solve 13 Cowboy Clark & Larry 14 Puzzles 16 Mystery of the Petrifying Well 17 Vanished 18 A Mystery Lost to Time 20 10 Things to Solve a Mystery 22 Mystery in the Old House 26 The Mysterious Kate Warne 28 Kidz Corner 30 Puzzle Solutions 2

Mystery stories are fun to read. They are like puzzles. You wonder what happened and who did it. To find the solution, you must follow the clues like a detective. In this issue of Fun For Kidz, you will read fiction mysteries like “The Night We Met the Monster” and “Mystery of the Old House.” Some mystery stories can be a little scary, but you know they are just make-believe. Other stories are true. They make us wonder why or how something could happen. There are lots of these to entertain you. For fun, find a quiet, dark place to sit and read this issue using a flashlight. Maybe ask a friend or sibling to join you. I can guarantee you will have fun. Let us know what you think of this issue. Send us a mystery story, a poem, or a picture, and we will use it in a future issue and send you the magazine.

by Stefanie A. Shilling • illustrated by Ginny Pruitt “Rebecca Jane and Robert Patrick, stop that fighting right now and go to sleep.” “Yes, Mom,” I said. I could tell she was serious when she used our middle names. I would have gone to sleep if it hadn’t been for the noise in the attic. It reminded me of when Mom burns the toast and then scrapes it off with a knife. At first, I thought it was my little brother Robbie scratching on his bedroom wall just to bug me. Sometimes, he was such a little pest. But when I realized the noise was coming from the attic, sleep was the furthest thing from my mind. My door creaked. I bet I jumped an inch off my bed. “Rebecca?” I poked my head out from under the covers to see Robbie scurry across the room and dive onto my bed. “Did you hear that spooky noise?” he whispered. The noise stopped. I lay still, my eyes darting back and forth. I looked at Robbie. His pale face looked up at me. He was only six. I was twice his age, and Mom always told me that I had to be the brave, big sister. Tonight I wasn’t feeling so brave. “I’m going to get Mom,” Robbie whispered. “No,” I said. “We’ll just get in trouble again.” “But what if it’s a monster?” Robbie was shaking and sobbing. I put my arm around him and handed him the box of tissues from my bedside table. “I’ll bet we can get rid of the monster all by ourselves,” I said. I wondered where that thought came from. What am I, crazy? Who knows what could be up in that dark attic?” I wrapped a blanket around Robbie and grabbed my tennis racket. “What’s that for?” Robbie asked. “This?” I said. “Ummm, this is my magic monster masher.”

“Oh,” Robbie replied. Luckily, he seemed to have believed me. The stairs to the attic moaned with each step. The moonlight beamed through the windows, casting shadows of all shapes and sizes on the wall. I clutched my tennis racket and crept up to the last step. “Robbie, hold on to my shirt,” I said. He didn’t answer. “Robbie?” As I turned around, I realized Robbie was gone! My heart was pounding. I stood there, motionless. Panic was setting in. “Robert Patrick,” I whispered. Maybe if I used Mom’s trick, he’d answer me. Suddenly, I heard the scraping toast sound again. It sounded as if it were right next to me! I raced back down the stairs and burst through the door into the hallway. I quickly closed the door behind me and ran to my room. My bed caught me as I fell. I was panting like a dog on a hot summer day. I realized I still didn’t know where Robbie was. Could whatever was making that noise have captured Robbie? I ran to his room and checked his bed. It was empty. I checked the bathroom. Empty. I couldn’t go downstairs because Mom would ask what was going on. I had to face the monster in the attic alone and save Robbie. I’d be grounded for a long time if I lost my little brother to an attic monster. Besides, I would really miss having him around. I opened the attic door, and, suddenly, the noise stopped. It was like the monster knew I was coming back. It could be hiding anywhere. I grabbed my magic monster masher with all my might. I whispered for Robbie. He didn’t answer. Continued on next page.

I kept climbing until I reached the top stair. The moonlight led the way as I crept along the cold wooden floor. Then I heard a whooshing sound. I wildly swung my magic monster masher back and forth. I was thrashing and flailing, frantically swinging my weapon as I squeezed my eyes shut. I felt as if I were desperately shooing away a bee, but tonight I was dealing with much more than a bee. “Shhhhh!” I stopped. “Robbie, is that you?” Robbie’s hand waved from behind some dusty, old boxes. I peeked around the boxes and saw Robbie huddled in the corner. His eyes were wide as saucers as he pointed toward a cubbyhole by the window. I turned to face the dreaded creature and was surprised at what I saw. A little bird had decided to make its home inside our attic. The sparrow’s back was speckled with several shades of brown, and her tummy was grayish-white. It was so small it could have fit in the palm of my hand. “Look at all the stuff she used to make her nest,” Robbie whispered. There was some light pink fabric from my baby blanket, a strand of fishing line, and a piece of the window screen. Robbie cupped his small hands over his mouth and giggled as the bird ruffled her feathers. He had no clue that I just risked life and limb to find him. A smile crept over my face as my little sixyear-old brother introduced me to our new neighbor, the attic monster.

by Joyce Styron Madsen “The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down, of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee . . .” The haunting song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” tells the legend of a shipwreck. But the story is more than a legend. The Edmund Fitzgerald was a real ship. On November 10, 1975, it suddenly plunged to the bottom of Lake Superior. What happened is a mystery. The Fitzgerald was as long as two city blocks. It was called “The Pride of the American Side” and was one of the hardest-working ships on the entire Great Lakes. This mighty ship carried tons of taconite, a flinty rock, from Minnesota mines down to blast furnaces along the lower Great Lakes. Then came that fateful day in 1975. The Fitzgerald set out from Lake Superior’s western shore on November 9. Sailors call this lake “Old Treacherous” because of its furious November storms. That day’s weather was mild. The next day, though, the wind shifted. It brought a blast of frigid air and a storm into the area. Waves 30 feet high hammered against the ship. Sixty-mph winds rocked it dangerously. Captain Ernest McSorley had experience guiding ships through blustery storms. But soon, he began to worry. The captain radioed a nearby ship, the Arthur Anderson. McSorley asked the Anderson to stay by the Fitzgerald.

A night search began and continued for days. Finally, a week later, the wreckage of the Fitzgerald was found. All 29 crew members were lost. They hadn’t even had time to send a distress signal or lower the lifeboats. What caused the disaster? The answer lies at the bottom of Lake Superior, along with the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Slava Gerj/Shutterstock.com

The two ships continued to communicate by radio. Then the Fitzgerald disappeared from the Anderson’s radar screen. The Anderson tried to radio the Fitzgerald. There was no response. The Anderson’s concerned captain made an emergency call to a Coast Guard station.

by Shirley Anne Ramaley

A soft wind blows through the empty buildings and down the streets of the ancient town of Chaco. There are many large rooms in the buildings, but the rooms are empty. The buildings are in decay, and many of the roofs are gone. The people all left long ago. No one knows why. It is one of the mysteries of Chaco. This place is quiet. A small group of us, schoolkids and adults, follows our guide. We take pictures and talk softly. We are learning about the Chaco Culture National Park in New Mexico and the people who lived here 1000 years ago. There are many mysteries about Chaco. Why did ancient people build here in the first place? The land is harsh. Temperatures reach 100 degrees in the summer. Winters are long, with subzero temperatures. The growing season is short. Only about nine inches of rain fall each year. It’s not enough for most crops. Sometime before Chaco was built, the Pueblo people stopped hunting and gathering their food as they had done for centuries. They began raising crops instead. When the Pueblo people created the city of Chaco, they carefully built dams and canals. With these, crops could be planted and grown. The Pueblo were experts at managing the little rain that fell.

The Pueblo descendants of Chaco say that Chaco was a very special place. Meetings and ceremonies were held there. Perhaps it was a trading area, where shells and other items were purchased from lands far away. Some researchers today think Chaco may have been a place where food was distributed to people who did not have enough, especially during poor growing seasons. The people of Chaco appeared to be experts at watching the sky. They knew about the sun and moon and stars. Petroglyphs, images carved in rock, show their interest and knowledge about the solar system. Today many wonder how people understood so much about the sun and moon over 1000 years ago. Chaco was suddenly abandoned about 300 years after it was established. When the people left, many mysteries followed them. Why did they build there? How did they develop such an amazing place, even with their knowledge of the solar system? How did they learn to construct the canal systems? Many descendants still consider Chaco a sacred place. Some Native American clans trace their history to Chaco. Stories are told of their ancestors leaving this place and moving to other areas. Some believe the spirits of their ancestors still live here. Why did the people leave? There are many theories. A long drought may have occurred. Did crops stop growing? Was there a famine? Were there arguments among the people? We don’t know the answers. Maybe someday we will. Mystery surrounds Chaco. As we drive away in the van, we look back. We all feel that mystery.

Are you curious about what makes some animals mysterious? Is it the way they look or behave? Maybe it’s their fantastic creature features. You decide!

FRIED EGG JELLYFISH. It’s no yoke. With its rounded yellow dome and flat, circular white bell, this creature looks like a large fried egg floating in the sea! The clusters that look like cauliflower are the bunched-up ends of the jellies’ mouth-arms. To eat, these jellies absorb tiny plankton and egg larvae right into the mouth-arms. Then the food travels to the jelly’s stomach. Creature features: ▪ A jelly has no brain, heart, blood, teeth, nose, or ears. Sets of nerves allow it to sense light or know what direction it’s facing. ▪ Most of their time is spent motionless. To move, they gently pulse their bells. ▪ This species of jellyfish is about 13 inches long, and their bodies are 98% water.

Maned Wolf. It’s called a wolf, but it is not. Its head may look like a fox’s, but it is not that, either. This animal is a wild member of the dog family and is the largest canine that lives in South America. They are three feet tall at the shoulders. A maned wolf doesn’t really have a mane. But when it’s in trouble, the strip of black fur on its neck and back stands up and looks like a mane.

Creature features: ▪ Its fearsome roar-bark warns other maned wolves to stay away from its territory. ▪ They eat their veggies! In fact, fruits and veggies make up half their diet. ▪ Long, spindly legs are perfect for running through high grasses when they hunt. Leaping into the air to grab birds and insects is no problem.

Tarsier. With its piercing stare and long, bony fingers and toes, this tiny animal is certainly mysterious looking. They are only about six inches long when grown, with a hairless tail about twice that length. Tarsiers live in the dark forests of Southeast Asia, and their enormous eyes give them excellent night vision. This is the only primate that is totally carnivorous. It eats insects, spiders, lizards, and birds. Creature features: ▪ Its eyes are fixed in its skull, so a tarsier must turn its entire head to look at something. ▪ They produce a toxin from glands in their arms. To keep enemies from bothering them, they mix the poison with saliva and coat their fur with it. ▪ Some tarsier species can hear incredibly high-pitched sounds that other animals can’t.

Octopus. These “monsters of the deep” are long-armed, boneless wonders. Even gigantic octopuses can squeeze through narrow rock crevices. They can change their colors or patterns to hide from predators. Strong suction cups lining their arms let them grip rocks, crawl on the sea floor, or grab prey. The mouth has a sharp beak and is hidden on the underside, where the arms meet. An octopus uses its beak to pierce the hard shells of crabs and clams. Then it sucks out its dinner. Creature features: ▪ They have blue blood. The color comes from a blood protein that contains copper. (Your blood is red because it has iron in it.) ▪ Octopuses have nine “brains,” one central brain, and one at the base of each arm! And they have three hearts. ▪ When attacked, many octopuses squirt black “ink.” The ink burns a predator’s eyes, letting the octopus zoom to safety.

If you like solving mysteries, then you’ll love doing these science experiments! Scientists do experiments to learn things they don’t know. Sometimes they experiment to prove something they DO know. They often make a guess, or HYPOTHESIS, then experiment to see if their guess is right. Here are two mysteries. I have given you my hypothesis for each one. Remember, a hypothesis is only a GUESS, so you don’t have to agree with me. Do the experiments to find out whether our guesses are correct!

Science Mystery Number 1 Is a tomato a vegetable or a fruit? My hypothesis is that it is a fruit. What is YOUR hypothesis? How can you tell what a tomato is? Experiment! But first, do you know the difference between a fruit and a vegetable? Fruits are parts of plants we eat that have SEEDS in them. Vegetables are parts of plants we eat that don’t have seeds in them. You may be surprised to know that to scientists, peas, beans, and corn are fruits, even though we use them as vegetables! To decide whether a tomato is a vegetable or a fruit, carefully cut one open. Are there seeds inside?

Science Mystery Number 2 Some objects float in water, and some objects sink. My hypothesis is that fruits will float in water, and vegetables will sink. What do YOU guess? Do the experiment to find out who’s right. Fill a large, deep bowl with water. Drop in different kinds of fruit, like an apple, banana, or whatever you have. Then drop in different kinds of vegetables, like a carrot or potato. SEE what happens. Were you correct?

Now that you have solved the mysteries, here comes the best part. You can EAT these experiments because both fruits and vegetables are very tasty and good for you!

Fifty-seven honeybees made their home in an elm tree’s magnificent trunk. Currently, they’re being spied on by Mrs. Whiskers, who sits a mere foot away on the fourth branch. Having pleaded with her for several minutes to come down, Larry howled, “I’m afraid you’re going to hurt yourself.” Cowboy Clark shook his head. “She’s a cat. Everyone knows they’re nosy.” “Cats are curious, not nosy,” Mrs. Whiskers said as she came down the trunk of the tree backwards. “What were you doing?” Larry asked. “Watching a wiggle-waggle dance.” Larry was intrigued. “What’s a wiggle-waggle dance?” Mrs. Whiskers explained. “Worker bees are sent out to find food for the colony. Once they find some, the bee returns and performs a wiggle-waggle dance to indicate where the food is located.” Cowboy Clark jumped up and started to wiggle his backside. “Like this?” Not in the mood for nonsense, Mrs. Whiskers continued. “First, the bee dances in the shape of a figure eight. Once that message has been received, it’ll start dancing in the top or bottom of the circles in the figure eight. Can you guess why?” Larry shrugged. “It’s a mystery to me.” Cowboy Clark continued to prance around wiggling his backside. “If it dances in the top portion of the figure eight, it’s telling the colony the food is closer to the sun. If the food is closer to the ground, it dances in the bottom portion.” “Wow!” Larry barked. “Their wiggle-waggle dance also tells the colony how far away the food is located. It’s quite fascinating.” “What’s fascinating is you didn’t get stung on your nosy noser nose, Cowboy Clark said, “Let’s get going, partner. Just follow my wiggle-waggle dance.” Mrs. Whiskers objected. “I’m curious, not nosy.” Holding her head high, she walked away.

by Guy Belleranti

Eliminate the mystery from these nine strange words by crossing out the letters M-Y-S-T-E-R-Y, one time, in each line. Write the leftover letters in the boxes to spell out a mystery-related word. The first line has been done for you. The 10 circled letters which you DO NOT cross out will spell out the answer to the riddle. 1. L M O Y S C A T T E R E Y L O C A T E 2. S M O Y L U S T T I E R O Y N 3. A M D V Y E S N T T E U R R Y E 4. S U M S Y P S T E E N R S Y E

RIDDLE: Where does a detective learn to detect?

5. C M A Y S T S E E R Y 6. T H M R Y S I L T E L I N R Y G 7. M S U Y S R P T R E I S R Y E 8. M S P Y S O T O E R K Y Y 9. P M U Y Z S T Z E R L E Y

Can you figure out where the slide is?

by Charlotte Redden and Ken Switzer

You may not know what something is when you first see it. That’s what makes it a mystery. Here are eight examples of common things in uncommon colors. Can you figure out what they are? You get two big helps: 1. For each word, the letters you need are scrambled after the boxes. 2. A hint about the answer is printed below each set of boxes.

1. YELLOW

SEBET

(Root vegetables, usually red)

2. PURPLE

TOAPOT

(America’s favorite vegetable)

3. TRANSPARENT

TYFLUBRET

(Insect from a caterpillar)

4. WHITE

LUFABOF

(Shaggy animal important to the Plains Indians)

5. BLUE

MIDDANO

(Hardest gem in the world)

6. RED

by Donna Lugg Pape

To learn the answer to the riddle, find each word of the puzzle title, and circle it. Look up, down, across, and diagonally. The leftover letters will reveal the answer.

B T R A P S T I

R T R C D M C N

O F H A E O L C I A A Y R H E W Answer:

O C E K I L H G

ANORGE

(Round fruit with segments)

7. PINK

DEJA

(Usually a carved green stone)

8. BLACK

SEOR

(This flower is often red or pink.)

Now put the circled letter in each answer, beginning with #1, in the boxes below to spell out a special phrase. TRUTH IS THAN FICTION! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

You've solved the mysteries!

by Doris Hier

Can you find out what is unusual about this paragraph? It looks so ordinary, that you wouldn’t think anything was unusual about it. But it is unusual. Do you know why? Sit and study it. Think about it, and you may find out. I cannot assist you in any way. You must do it without any of my coaching. If you work at it for long, it may dawn on you. Now, go to work. Try your skill. In about a half hour, you should know what is unusual about this paragraph.

Answer: ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________

Or have you? See page 30 for answers. 15

by Diane Winebar For centuries, the people in the town of Knaresborough, England, lived with a mystery. In the woods nearby, ice-cold water flowed over a rocky cliff and down into a pool. The waters never stopped running, not even during a drought. Even more astonishing, whatever fell into the pool – leaves, sticks, and even small animals – eventually turned into stone! What power does this water have? the townsfolk asked one another. Stories spread about this amazing “petrifying well.” Visitors came over the years, leaving everyday objects behind to see the water work its wonders. They left bonnets, hats, toys, spoons, and teapots. A queen of England even left a shoe there. All turned to stone. Today we know the petrifying well’s secret. The water comes from an underground lake and trickles up through the Earth’s crust. By the time the water falls into the pool, it is full of calcium carbonate, iron, and other minerals. If anything stays in this water long enough, a rock-like coating of minerals quickly builds up on it. People still visit the famous, old petrifying well, but now they come by the thousands. And just like so long ago, the water still works its wonders and turns objects into stone.

by W. Richard Reegan • illustration by Mary Snyder Everyone aboard the small ship disappeared without a trace. Except for an occasional creaking rope or the flapping of a wind-whipped sail, the Mary Celeste drifted along in ghostly silence. Missing were the ship’s captain, his wife, their small child, and the seven crew members. This ship had left New York on November 7, 1872, bound for Genoa, Italy. Twenty-eight days later, the Mary Celeste was spotted near the Azores, islands off the coast of Portugal, by the crew of another ship, the Dei Gratia. “AHOY, THERE!” yelled the Dei Gratia’s captain. When there was no response, he ordered three of his men to board the silent ship. What they found only deepened the mystery. In the cabin, the helm spun around lazily. The ship’s shiny brass clock had stopped, and the compass was smashed to pieces. Other navigation instruments were gone. The bed in the captain’s cabin was neatly made, but there was an impression in the blanket, as though a child had lain there. One thing was certain: When the crew left the ship, they did so in a big hurry. They left behind their clothing, raincoats, boots, and even their pipes. They hadn’t even taken water. All the fresh water kegs were in place. Perhaps the strangest thing of all was the last entry into the ship’s log, dated November 25, 1872. A lone sentence, shakily scrawled, stated there were strange noises coming from the cargo area. But the cargo of 1701 oak casks of crude alcohol hadn’t been disturbed, although nine of them were empty. No one who had been aboard the Mary Celeste was ever seen or heard from again. Only the vast rolling ocean knows what occurred. But then, the sea never gives up her secrets. What do you think happened? Write to Kidz Corner, PO Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817-0227 or kidzcorner@funforkidz.com, and let us know.

by Kerrily Sapet

As the explorers peered into the tomb, their excitement grew. Through the thick shadows and the dust of 3000 years, they saw glints of gold and jewels beyond their wildest imaginings. They had discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun (tootahnk-ah-mun). King “Tut,” for short, has become one of the most famous Egyptian pharaohs since archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb in 1923 near the tombs of other Egyptian kings. Carter had searched for several years. King Tut’s tomb was well worth the wait. Inside, Carter and his team found swords, musical instruments, model boats, food, beds shaped like lions and crocodiles, and even the king’s wig, robe, and sandals. Tut’s mummy wore an elaborate solid gold mask. But by opening the tomb, Carter began what became known as the “Curse of the Mummy.” Just a few months after discovering the tomb, a power failure plunged the entire city of Cairo, Egypt, into darkness. Days later, Lord Carnarvon, the man who provided money for Carter’s work, died suddenly. Doctors believed Carnarvon died from an infected mosquito bite and pneumonia. Strangely, the bite on Carnarvon’s left cheek was in the same spot as a wound on Tut’s face. People claimed that back in England, Lord Carnarvon’s dog howled and died at the exact moment of his master’s death. Carter’s pet canary also fell victim to the curse. Egyptians blamed these events on the fact that the pharaoh’s mummy had been disturbed. For hundreds of years, people believed that mummies held magical powers. Within months of Carnarvon’s death, people claimed that many other people on Carter’s archaeological team had died of unknown causes. All of them, people said, had been in Tut’s burial room. Some people believed King Tut cursed those who entered his tomb because he was angry. Hieroglyphics written on treasure found in the tomb

Game pieces used by King Tut

Tut became the ruler of Egypt when he was only nine years old. Nine years later, he mysteriously died. Many think his advisor, Ay, had him murdered. Tut’s mummy has a wound on its head. Ay became pharaoh when Tut died. There is evidence that King Tut’s death was sudden and unexpected. His tomb was filled with beautiful objects, but it was small compared to other kings’ tombs. The mummification was done quickly and sloppily. Embalmers added too much resin, or tree sap, to Tut’s linen bandages. His mummy actually got stuck to the bottom of his coffin. Tut’s name was even carved over a previous name. Did King Tut die of a sudden illness, or was he murdered by an ambitious advisor? This is a mystery lost to time. Recently, scientists suggested that ancient molds on fruits and vegetables inside Tut’s burial chamber possibly caused the deaths of the archaeological team. But the idea of an angry mummy is enough to send shivers down your spine.

King Tut’s gold funerary mask

Is the mummy’s curse real? That’s for you to decide.

King Tut’s tomb was found in an area known as the Valley of the Kings.

Mystery in the Old House by Virginia M. Kidd • illustrated by Pamela Harden

It really wasn’t a spooky house. It just looked like it from far away. Only a glimpse of its pointed roof towering above the trees was visible from the foot of the winding lane. A thousand window eyes peered through tree branches. Up close, it was more interesting than scary. It was a freshly painted, white, two-story house. And it was our new home in Pleasantville. When Dad got Mr. Casey’s job as head of the museum, they threw this house in with the deal. Dad said it was furnished with a lot of old stuff: antiques. The day we moved in, Shara, my 10-yearold sister, and I decided to investigate the mansion. Two heavy wooden doors at the front of the house led inside to a spacious hallway with polished white marble floors. Anxious to get started, I rushed up the stairs. My flashlight jostled out of my pocket, making musical plunks as it tumbled down the stairs. “Is it busted?” I wondered aloud. “Broken, Jason,” Shara corrected. “Did you know that in England, a flashlight is called a torch? I’ll get it.” “All right, Miss Encyclopedia, go ahead.”

The “torch” still worked, so we continued our investigation. At the top of the stairs, there were four doors. I opened the first door. It was a regular bedroom with a bed, dresser, and a window seat. Shara struggled with the door across the hall. “Hey, this door is stuck,” she gasped. “Help me.” “No problem.” I flexed my muscles and gave the door a good push with my shoulder. We tumbled into the room as the door flew open. “Wow! Look at all this neat stuff!” There were knives, jeweled swords, armor, and, best of all, a real cannon. This was my kind of discovery. Shara was fingering a velvety rug hanging on the wall. “Oh, Jason, look at these rainbow colors woven into flowers, birds, and trees. Isn’t it beautiful? It’s a Persian rug, hung on the wall to keep the room warm, like in English castles.” “A what rug? That’s dumb. Carpets are for the floor. It’s probably covering a bunch of cracked plaster.” As I pulled on the rug, the wall behind it opened. I gasped. It was a sliding door! The musty stench burned my nose, but curiosity pushed my feet through the opening. Shara followed me into the closet-like room. Bam! The door slid shut, leaving us in darkness. Shara gulped and squeezed my arm. “Try your flashlight,” she stammered. “Maybe you can find a way to open the door.” I turned it on. I saw vases etched with squiggly deep green vines, huge urns, paintings of old-fashioned people, and wall hangings from Africa, India, and other exotic countries. One wall was lined with dusty books. I couldn’t see anything that looked like the door. Something soft and creepy brushed against my neck. Startled, I turned quickly and bumped into Shara. She screamed, and the flashlight bounced out of my hand. Darkness. “Are you OK?” We spoke at the same time. Then we laughed nervously and began groping for the flashlight.

“Be careful what you touch, Jason. There might be a trap door or something.” Very carefully, I slithered along the floor, patting it gently in search of the flashlight. All I got was a splinter in my finger. “Did you find it, Jason?” Shara sounded nervous. “I’m getting thirsty, and it’s stuffy in here.” I didn’t bother answering. I was hungry – tired and thirsty too. I stood up and pointed myself in the direction I thought was the entrance. Wham! I walked straight into the bookshelves. “Shara, stay where you are. I’ll feel along the wall for a latch to open the door.” I made a U-turn from the bookcase and carefully shuffled across the tiny room. It was not my lucky day. I couldn’t feel a latch or a button on the wall. Nothing. It was dark. My toe hurt. My finger stung from the sliver. My stomach ached from hunger. My sister’s soft whimpering filled the little room. I felt like crying, too, but instead I just got angry and banged the wall as hard as I could with my fist. Once, twice, three times. Maybe someone would hear us.

Then it happened. The walls began to tremble. My insides felt woozy as the whole room descended and I toppled to the floor. “Yipes!” Shara let out a breathless squeal as we came to a stop. “Y’ouch!” I blurted when the missing flashlight hit me on the head. Then, wonder of wonders, it turned itself on. “The old torch works!” I blurted. “That was some ride! You OK?” I guess I was pretty nervous because I was talking really fast. “This must be an elevator.” “Oh, Jason, stop chattering and get us out of here. I’ve had enough adventure for one day,” Shara grumbled. I wasn’t keen on spending the rest of my life locked up with all this old stuff, either. Once again, I examined the walls. Books, paintings, charts, up, down, open. “Wait a minute!” I screeched. “Up, down, open! The elevator buttons! I must have jarred that down button when I pounded the wall.” “Now push the open button, Jason, before anything else happens,” urged Shara. “OK, open sesame!” I blurted as I pushed the button with my magic finger. This time, we were lucky. The door slid open, and we scampered out onto the basement level. “Hey, Jason, did you know that an elevator is called a lift in England?” Miss Encyclopedia was at it again. “No, but the elevator – lift – only dropped us down today,” I chuckled. And that was that.

The End 25

The Mysterious Kate Warne by Emily VonBerge

walked into the Pinkerton In 1856, 23-year-old Kate Warne . Unfortunately, Allan Detective Agency to apply for a job secretarial job had been Pinkerton had to inform her that the secretary work,” may filled. “But I’m not here to apply for ton took a chance that have been Kate’s reply. Allan Pinker detective. It was a smart day in hiring Kate as his first female move on his part. rking as a detective, No one ever suspected a woman wo advantage. She became and Kate learned to use this to her different accents, and adept at wearing disguises, using nd in with the enemy. changing her name as needed to ble Mrs. Cherry. Pinkerton Some names she used were M.B. and n of mystery, and very little called her Kitty. Kate was a woma wn. That is, until one day personal knowledge of her was kno an assignment that would in 1861, when Pinkerton gave her put her in the history books. ivities for his While investigating secessionist act ker Pin ton uncovered employer, the Baltimore Railroad, m Lincoln. He felt a plot to kill president-elect Abraha until he could confirm very uneasy approaching Lincoln y one operative the Baltimore plot. In his eyes, onl hering additional could remain undetected while gat e Warne. information. That operative was Kat rs that had These secessionists were Southerne up. They did not slaves and didn’t want to give them ieve in slavery. like Lincoln because he did not bel essionists were When Lincoln took office, the sec up their slaves. afraid they would be forced to give to kill Lincoln. Rather than do that, they plotted Barnum Kate’s assignment was to go to the ionist ess sec Hotel, a known meeting place for tion while rma info activities. There, she was to obtain self. Dressed in pretending to be a secessionist her fit by sticking a long gown, she completed her out ed a cockade a black and white coiled ribbon call ed her as a in her hat band. This cockade identifi secessionist.

The plotters met in the Barnum Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland.

Detective Pinkerton (left) with President Lincoln and General McClernand

Allan Pinkerton is sitting on the right. It is believed that the person standing right behind him is Kate Warne in disguise. This may be the only known photo of her.

Detective Kate learned the secessionists planned to strike when Lincoln would be unprotected during a two-mile buggy ride. Lincoln would use the buggy to change railroad stations in Baltimore before continuing his trip to the White House. The schedule for that 1861 train trip was printed in all the newspapers of the day. So Lincoln’s enemies knew every stop the train would make before it reached the White House. Allan Pinkerton pleaded with Lincoln to alter his traveling agenda. Lincoln refused, saying, “I cannot consent to this. I shall hoist the flag on Independence Hall tomorrow (which was Washington’s Birthday) and meet the legislature of Pennsylvania. Then I shall have fulfilled all my engagements.” When Pinkerton received another warning, Lincoln had second thoughts. He reluctantly agreed to leave early after he performed his duties. Pinkerton and his detectives took extra precautions to stay one step ahead of the secessionists. He sent one detective to cut the telegraph wires and had others stationed at passing train depots on the way to Washington,

D.C. A prearranged signal of raising a light up and down meant “all’s well.” Meanwhile, Kate had secured the last two rail cars for Lincoln’s use. Rather than attend a party in his honor, Abe pretended to be tired and told everyone he was going to turn in early. Instead, he headed for the train station. The train was held up until the last possible moment. The train workers thought they were waiting for important government papers. Lincoln dressed in a scotch plaid hat and a long military coat. He walked stooped over, posing as Kate’s invalid brother. Even the conductor didn’t see the occupants in the last rail cars because the detectives handed over the tickets in the passageway. Kate, Pinkerton, and another detective named Timothy Webster were all armed and didn’t sleep a wink on the midnight train ride. After a long night, they reached their destination at 6:00 AM, one day ahead of the previously planned schedule. Pinkerton sent one of his detectives to fix the cut telegraph wires so a message could be sent back to the government. “The plums and nuts have arrived safely,” was the code, meaning Lincoln and Pinkerton had reached their destination.

by Leo Dettman, age 11

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The leaves fell into the first piercing winds of winter, the birds sang as they flew south while the children sipped on hot cocoa as they settled in for bed as night approached the first snow fell. And the sky turned from orange to gray all was peaceful and calm as the parents kissed their kids goodnight as the stars shine bright and the trees stand bare their branches outstretched as the wind whispers in their ears while the snowflakes dance and twirl and disappear while the moon peaks behind the mountains. The street lights flickered as the wild dogs wandered searching for food and the worries of the children disappear as they drift off to dreams in hopes their wishes come true. It is truly a peaceful winter night.

The Bird Who Had His Plane by Sebko Vrazda, age 7

Once there was a mother duck and she gave birth to five tiny eggs, and it took a long two months for them to hatch. Day by day went by, but finally one hatched and another and another until all five had hatched. The first learned how to fly in a month or so, the second in two and the third in three. And so on, but not so on. The fifth did not learn how to fly. “Please, please, please” he begged. “Can you teach me how to fly?” “No!!!” the parents said sternly. “Okay, I’ll find something or someone else to help me fly”. And he jumped from the tree and ran away. He walked, and walked, and walked and he saw a swan. “A swan can’t teach me how to fly. A swan is a swan and I’m a duck named Vixon” he muttered. But just then Vixon walked into a barn and there it was!! – hanging – a plane! “But how to get it down?” he asked the swan. “Well, I just fly up there for you and push the plane off its hook. Now you get the old mattress over there, so when I do, the plane does not get broken”. So Vixon moved the mattress over the plane and the swan slowly, but surely, he carefully moved the plane off the hook and the plane fell. It fell and it fell right in the middle of the mattress. “Hurray!” Vixon shouted. “Hurray!” the swan

shouted. “But it sure needs cleaning.” So, they cleaned and cleaned until the plane was sparkling. Vixon sat in the pilot seat, he turned on the engine, the props spun, he was taking off! Vixon was going faster and faster. He was going to take off. He pulled the yoke closer to himself. He began to go up. Up, up, up. Vixon leveled off the plane. He checked the air speed and the artificial horizon. Just the moment after, Vixon checked all those things, he realized he was flying. “Wow, this is so cool, me flying in a plane!” Vixon said. But where did he want to go? He just thought he’d land right here. Vixon pushed the yoke forward, the plane started to go down. Down, down, down. He was going to flare. In a second, he pulled the yoke to himself and quickly pushed it back in place. He flared. Vixon was on the ground! He got out of the plane and went to bed with the swan. The next morning, he went to fly again. He turned on the engine, he pulled the yoke, the plane went up. Vixon leveled off the plane, he did not check anything. He did not even look at the windshield! Vixon crashed into a tree, he even fell out of the plane! Vixon spread his wings, he glided down. He landed softly. In two seconds, the plane fell, only there was no mattress. Nothing was broken on the plane, so Vixon took it home with the swan.

The End

Joy Guo, age 6 Joy is holding a piece of writing where she described the picture of the lighthouse scene. She did this in school. Here is what she wrote:

The tall sturdy lighthouse stood proudly out of the crashing stormy water. Then a powerful blast of white lightning struck dangerously towards the wavy water. Next to the lighthouse were strong white-glowing waves (which were from the lightning) that crashed against the shore. Stormy swirling storm clouds raced together. Wet, black bumpy rocks stood still against the splashing waves.

Knock-knock Who’s there? Interrupting cow. Interrupting cow whMOOOOO!!! by Lucia Liu, age 12

by Salif Azman, age 7

by Saif Al-Din, age 8 I am from Bangladesh, and I sent my artwork.

Be a Word Detective on page 12

1. L O C A T E 2. S O L U T I O N 3. A D V E N T U R E 4. S U S P E N S E 5. C A S E 6. T H R I L L I N G 7. S U R P R I S E 8. S P O O K Y 9. P U Z Z L E Where do detectives learn to detect?

CLUE SCHOOL

Inspector Danger on page 12 The slide is hidden inside the biggest fish in the aquarium. The fish happens to be artificial. There are no air bubbles coming from its mouth.

Mystery of the Missing Chow on page 27 rex, mewsical, elkhounds, beagle, paws, tabby collie-flower, shepherd’s pie, husky collar, retriever, kitten, leash poodles, terriered, dingo-dongo, pointered, mastiff pug, pooch, Pekingese, lynx, cat barked, panther, cheetah, Angora, lion hound, whiskered, clawset chow, boxer, Manx, kennel Afghan, setter, woof, dogs

The Truth Is on page 13 Mousetraps and Colds on page 13

B T R A P S T I

R T R C D M C N

O H E L I A R E

F A O C A Y H W

O C E K I L H G

Why are mousetraps like colds? BOTH ARE CATCHING.

1. BEETS, 2. POTATO, 3. BUTTERFLY, 4. BUFFALO, 5. DIAMOND, 6. ORANGE, 7. JADE, 8. ROSE Truth is STRANGER than fiction!

Throw Light on This on page 13 The letter “e,” the most-used letter in the English alphabet, doesn’t appear in this paragraph! Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons: Edmund Fitzgerald, 1971 - Greenmars [CC BY-SA 3.0] 7 bottom; Fried egg jellyfish - Victor Micallef [CC BY-SA 4.0] 10 (top); Tarsier - Kok Leng Yeo [CC BY 2.0] 11 (top); Dripping well - chris [CC BY 3.0] 16 (bottom); Hieroglyphics Agyptisches - Djehouty (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0] 18 (middle); King Tut’s Toys - Dave Nakayama from Palo Alto, USA [CC BY 2.0] 18 (bottom); Egypt 0879 Thebes - Dan Lundberg [CC BY-SA 2.0] 19 (bottom). 123rf. com: Image ID #19092383: ©[rotographics/123RF.com] 3; Image ID #15038257: ©[3355m/123RF.com 12. Shirley Anne Ramaley All Photos on Pages 8-9.

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Visit Us Online! Facebook.com/FunForKidz • www.FunForKidz.com Vol 23 No 1 • JAN/FEB 2024 Publisher: Thomas M. Edwards Editor: Marilyn Edwards Associate Editor: Diane Winebar Graphic Design: Gaurakisora Tucker Marketing Director: Jonathan Edwards Circulation Manager: Mark Studer Science Editor: Larry White Science Illustrator: Alan Wassilak Cowboy Clark & Larry Editor: Lisa Rehfuss Cover Artist: Chris Sabatino

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