by Charles Tang
Everyone was getting in line to start the parade. People were gathering all along Main Street, shouting and cheering.
Grandfather snapped another picture.
Just then, Violet saw Sam. He was leading Susie down the street. “Look!” she said.
“I can’t believe we ever suspected Sam of taking our boxcar,” said Jessie in a low voice.
“Me, either,” said Henry. “I feel kind of bad that I did.”
“Sam! And Susie!” shouted Benny.
“Hello there!” Sam called, leading Susie up to them.
“But where’s your wagon?” asked Violet.
“Oh, it’s going to be a beautiful new wagon when I finish putting it back together. I wanted it to be a surprise entry in the parade today. Then I found out I had to order new wheels.” Sam shook his head, but he was smiling. “But since I’d already polished Susie’s harness, I put her in it and we came to the parade anyway.”
Another voice spoke. “So this is the famous boxcar — I heard all about what happened! Mr. Jennings is a friend of mine.”
“Senator Teacher!” said Henry. “Are you going to be in the parade, too?”
“Hello, Aldens,” said the senator. “Yes, I am going to be in the parade.” She turned to Grandfather Alden and shook hands with him. “How do you do,” said Senator Teacher. “I hope you will vote for me.”
“I will,” said Benny.
“Then I will, too,” said Grandfather Alden, his eyes twinkling.
The senator smiled and turned toward Sam. “I’m Senator Teacher,” she said, “and I hope you will vote for me.”
“I always have,” said Sam.
“Sam’s going to be in the parade, too. He has a new wagon that he built, but it’s not ready yet. It will be just like his old one that crashed. It’s like the caboose on a train,” said Jessie. “He can even sleep in it if he wants.”
“You can fix things like that?” asked the senator.
“Sure,” said Sam.
“I need some help with a truck I’m working on for my whistle-stop campaign,” said the senator. “Maybe you could look at the truck after the parade and see if you would be interested in a job fixing that up.”
“Why, I’d be glad to,” said Sam, looking pleased.
“Great,” said the senator. She waved good-bye to the Aldens and went away to shake more hands.
Violet said, “I have an idea. Maybe Susie could pull our boxcar in the parade. If it’s okay with you,” she said to Sam. To Grandfather she said, “If you don’t mind.”
“Susie and I would like that,” said Sam, stroking Susie’s nose. “I could walk alongside her and lead her.”
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” said Grandfather. “Then I can watch the parade and take lots of pictures.”
So Grandfather unhitched the old truck and parked it. Then Sam hitched Susie to the boxcar.
And the parade began.
Grandfather hurried to find a place on the sidewalk to watch the parade. Sam walked beside Susie, holding onto her halter and leading the way.
It was a wonderful parade. It was full of people in historic costumes and beautiful floats. There was even a marching band.
But nothing in the whole parade was as successful as the boxcar with Susie and Sam leading the way. Henry and Jessie and Violet and Benny and Soo Lee waved, and Watch barked and wagged his tail. As they all went by, people cheered loudest of all.
Benny got so excited that he stood up and waved both arms over his head.
“It looks like you are signaling for a train to stop!” said Jessie.
Violet and Soo Loo laughed. Henry grabbed Benny and pulled him back. “You better sit down,” said; Henry. “Before you fall out and make the whole parade stop!”
Benny sat down again. But he kept waving happily at the crowd. “Oh,” said Benny. “I love a parade.”
About the Author
GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book, The Boxcar Children, quickly proved she had succeeded.
Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write the mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be like to set up housekeeping in a caboose or freight car — the situation the Alden children find themselves in.
When Miss Warner received requests for more adventures involving Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden, she began additional stories. In each, she chose a special setting and introduced unusual or eccentric characters who liked the unpredictable.
While the mystery element is central to each of Miss Warner’s books, she never thought of them as strictly juvenile mysteries. She liked to stress the Aldens’ independence and resourcefulness and their solid New England devotion to using up and making do. The Aldens go about most of their adventures with as little adult supervision as possible — something else that delights young readers.
Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in 1979. During her lifetime, she received hundreds of letters from girls and boys telling her how much they liked her books.
The Boxcar Children Mysteries
THE BOXCAR CHILDREN
SURPRISE ISLAND
THE YELLOW HOUSE MYSTERY
MYSTERY RANCH
MIKE’S MYSTERY
BLUE BAY MYSTERY
THE WOODSHED MYSTERY
THE LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERY
MOUNTAIN TOP MYSTERY
SCHOOLHOUSE MYSTERY
CABOOSE MYSTERY
HOUSEBOAT MYSTERY
SNOWBOUND MYSTERY
TREE HOUSE MYSTERY
BICYCLE MYSTERY
MYSTERY IN THE SAND
MYSTERY BEHIND THE WALL
BUS STATION MYSTERY
BENNY UNCOVERS A MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CABIN MYSTERY
THE DESERTED LIBRARY MYSTERY
THE ANIMAL SHELTER MYSTERY
THE OLD MOTEL MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN PAINTING
THE AMUSEMENT PARK MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIXED-UP ZOO
THE CAMP-OUT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY GIRL
THE MYSTERY CRUISE
THE DISAPPEARING FRIEND MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE SINGING GHOST
MYSTERY IN THE SNOW
THE PIZZA MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY HORSE
THE MYSTERY AT THE DOG SHOW
THE CASTLE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST VILLAGE
THE MYSTERY ON THE ICE
THE MYSTERY OF THE PURPLE POOL
THE GHOST SHIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN WASHINGTON, DC
THE CANOE TRIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN BEACH
THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING CAT
THE MYSTERY AT SNOWFLAKE INN
THE MYSTERY ON STAGE
THE DINOSAUR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN MUSIC
THE MYSTERY AT THE BALL PARK
THE CHOCOLATE SUNDAE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HOT AIR BALLOON
THE MYSTERY BOOKSTORE
THE PILGRIM VILLAGE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN BOXCAR
THE MYSTERY IN THE CAVE
THE MYSTERY ON THE TRAIN
THE MYSTERY AT THE FAIR
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST MINE
THE GUIDE DOG MYSTERY
THE HURRICANE MYSTERY
THE PET SHOP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE SECRET MESSAGE
THE FIREHOUSE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN SAN FRANCISCO
THE NIAGARA FALLS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY AT THE ALAMO
THE OUTER SPACE MYSTERY
THE SOCCER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE OLD ATTIC
THE GROWLING BEAR MYSTERY
THE MYS
TERY OF THE LAKE MONSTER
THE MYSTERY AT PEACOCK HALL
THE WINDY CITY MYSTERY
THE BLACK PEARL MYSTERY
THE CEREAL BOX MYSTERY
THE PANTHER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE QUEEN’S JEWELS
THE STOLEN SWORD MYSTERY
THE BASKETBALL MYSTERY
THE MOVIE STAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE PIRATE’S MAP
THE GHOST TOWN MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK RAVEN
THE MYSTERY IN THE MALL
THE MYSTERY IN NEW YORK
THE GYMNASTICS MYSTERY
THE POISON FROG MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE EMPTY SAFE
THE HOME RUN MYSTERY
THE GREAT BICYCLE RACE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD PONIES
THE MYSTERY IN THE COMPUTER GAME
THE MYSTERY AT THE CROOKED HOUSE
THE HOCKEY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT DOG
THE MYSTERY OF THE SCREECH OWL
THE SUMMER CAMP MYSTERY
THE COPYCAT MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CLOCK TOWER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE TIGER’S EYE
THE DISAPPEARING STAIRCASE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY ON BLIZZARD MOUNTAIN
THE MYSTERY OF THE SPIDER’S CLUE
THE CANDY FACTORY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY’S CURSE
THE MYSTERY OF THE STAR RUBY
THE STUFFED BEAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF ALLIGATOR SWAMP
THE MYSTERY AT SKELETON POINT
THE TATTLETALE MYSTERY
THE COMIC BOOK MYSTERY
THE GREAT SHARK MYSTERY
THE ICE CREAM MYSTERY
THE MIDNIGHT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE FORTUNE COOKIE
THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER MYSTERY
THE RADIO MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE RUNAWAY GHOST
THE FINDERS KEEPERS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED BOXCAR
THE CLUE IN THE CORN MAZE
THE GHOST OF THE CHATTERING BONES
THE SWORD OF THE SILVER KNIGHT
THE GAME STORE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE ORPHAN TRAIN
THE VANISHING PASSENGER
THE GIANT YO-YO MYSTERY
THE CREATURE IN OGOPOGO LAKE
THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL MYSTERY
THE SECRET OF THE MASK
THE SEATTLE PUZZLE
THE GHOST IN THE FIRST ROW
THE BOX THAT WATCH FOUND
A HORSE NAMED DRAGON
THE GREAT DETECTIVE RACE
THE GHOST AT THE DRIVE-IN MOVIE
THE MYSTERY OF THE TRAVELING TOMATOES
THE SPY GAME
THE DOG-GONE MYSTERY
THE VAMPIRE MYSTERY
SUPERSTAR WATCH
THE SPY IN THE BLEACHERS
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copyright © 1995 by Albert Whitman & Company
978-1-4532-1341-4
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