Gabby shuffled in, still in her pajamas. “What is it?” she asked Marion.
“Did you take Teddy?” Marion asked, starting to panic.
“No,” Gabby replied. She looked confused. “Why?”
Marion froze. The side hatch of the cage was open.
“Oh no,” Marion moaned. “Last night, I put Teddy back into the cage this way. But I guess I didn’t close the hatch!”
Marion looked at Gabby, her eyes wide in alarm as she realized what had happened. Now she was panicking.
“Teddy got out!” cried Marion. “He could be anywhere! We don’t even know how long he’s been out.”
Before long, Marion’s family had organized a search party. Marion’s parents were searching downstairs. Gabby and Marion were upstairs.
The girls started in Marion’s room. “Maybe he hasn’t gone very far,” Gabby suggested. She crawled under Marion’s bed.
Marion moved her desk out from the wall. She peeked behind it.
Gabby checked behind books on Marion’s bookshelf.
Marion looked inside her closet. There were so many places for a hamster to hide! She looked everywhere, from the top shelf to the back of the shoe rack on the floor.
As she searched the floor, Marion thought of Joey, searching the schoolyard on his scavenger hunt. This is way less fun, she decided.
They spent as long as they could searching. But no luck.
Marion’s mom called up: “Girls, it’s time to get ready for school!”
Tears were welling up in Marion’s eyes. How could she go to school? It was her job to look after Teddy, but she didn’t even know where he was. Or if he was okay!
Mrs. Ballard came up the stairs and gave her a big hug. “Dad and I will keep looking,” she told Marion. “Okay? Try not to worry. I’m sure we’ll find him.”
At school Marion kept her eyes on the floor as she headed to her locker. She hoped no one asked her about Teddy. What would she say? All she wanted was to get through the day. Then she could go home and keep looking for him.
Marion opened her locker. A folded piece of paper fluttered out and landed at Marion’s feet.
She picked it up. On the outside, it read:
Two Mysterious Clues
All through morning work, Marion kept sneaking peeks at the note. She reached into her desk and pulled it out again.
Marion’s head was spinning. This was so weird. Missing something? Did the person who left the note know where Teddy was?
And how did they even know that Teddy was missing?
In any case, the clue was easy enough to figure out.
When it was time for morning recess, Marion told her friends she had to check on something. Then she headed straight for the swings.
As she got closer, her heart beat faster. Part of her was hoping that Teddy would crawl out from somewhere. But Marion knew it was a crazy thought.
Then she spotted something. On the ground, next to one of the posts of the swing set, was a bright patch of white. Another note!
The outside was labeled Clue #2.
Marion looked around. A thought occurred to her. What if this person didn’t know where Teddy was? Was someone sending her on a scavenger hunt for no reason?
A book about animals, Marion thought. Wild animals, not pets. Animal adventures . . . ?
Marion had it! The Adventures of Sophie Mouse! It was one of her favorite book series about a little mouse who lives in the forest.
Marion read the clue again. It said “check out a book.” Check out, like from the library?
She had to get to the school library!
Could I go right now? Marion wondered.
The teachers on playground duty were talking to one another. They probably wouldn’t notice if Marion slipped inside.
But if they did, she might get in trouble.
Marion glanced over at Amy, Liz, and Ellie playing tag with some other kids. She wanted to ask them for help. But she didn’t want to get them in trouble too.
So Marion waited for the right moment. Then she made her move. She slipped in through the cafeteria door. She turned left and went down the quiet hallway.
At the first corner, Marion stopped. Like a spy, she peeked around to see if the coast was clear. There were no teachers in sight.
She was about to round the corner and continue on.
But just then, she heard a voice behind her.
“Marion Ballard?”
Slowly, Marion turned and looked up. Towering over her was Mrs. Young.
The principal.
Unexpected Treasure
Mrs. Young stood there, her arms crossed in front of her. “Why aren’t you at recess, Marion?” she asked.
Marion opened her mouth to answer. Her mind raced to find the right excuse.
But Marion couldn’t come up with anything to say—except the truth.
“I . . . lost something,” Marion replied.
Mrs. Young’s face softened. “Oh, all right,” she said cheerfully. “Well, you know where the Lost and Found is? By the library door?” Mrs. Young pointed the way. “Go check it and then head back outside. Okay?”
Marion nodded. She decided not to say she was pretty sure Teddy wasn’t in the Lost and Found.
Mrs. Young went off down the hall. Marion walked on to the library, and straight into the section with the chapter books.
Marion knew exactly where to look for The Adventures of Sophie Mouse books. She pulled out book number one, remembering the clue: Lots of adventures, lots of fun, especially the very first one.
Marion flipped through the book. There was a note in the middle! It was labeled Clue #3.
Marion frowned. Square one?
On the playground, there were squares marked with a number one for hopscotch. But that didn’t seem to go with “your very first clue.” Her first clue had been in her locker. . . .
Oh! “Back to square one” means “back to the beginning”! thought Marion. The scavenger hunt began at her locker.
And her locker was blue!
Marion’s locker was right down the hall, back the way she’d come in. She practically ran there, wondering if there was any chance that Teddy was in her locker.
Marion unlatched the door and threw it open.
Teddy wasn’t there.
Everything was just as she remembered it: notebooks, library books, her pencil case with a sticky note on it.
Wait. A sticky note?
Marion pulled it off and read it.
“Found it?” Marion said out loud. Found what?
And where was Teddy?
The Principal’s Office
Kids were streaming down the hall, back from recess.
Marion spotted Joey.
“What is this?” she asked him, holding up the sticky note. “What did I find?”
Joey smiled. “Your pencil case!” he replied.
Marion looked at him, confused.
“You left it on your desk yesterday at dismissal time,” said Joey. “I tried to catch up to give it to you. But you were gone. So I decided to make a scavenger hunt for you!”
Marion’s heart sank. This didn’t have anything to do with finding Teddy.
“My pencil case?” Marion said in disbelief. She hadn’t even noticed it was missing. “That’s what I was looking for all along?”
Joey seemed surprised by Marion’s reaction. “Did I do something wrong?” he asked her. “You seemed interested in Scavenger Club.”
Marion shook her head. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just . . . worried about something else.” She managed a smile. “Actually, that was a great hunt you put together. Thank you,” she said sincerely.
But back at her desk in class, Marion moped. She looked down at her pencil case. It was nice of Joey to return it. But she would have traded it for Teddy in a second.
Just then, the classroom phone rang. Mrs. Sienna answered.
“Marion,” she said after hanging up. “Mrs. Young would like you
to see you in the main office.”
Marion gulped and stood up slowly. She shuffled out of the classroom and down the hall.
Uh-oh. Did the principal change her mind? Marion wondered. Am I in trouble for being inside during recess after all?
Marion gasped. Or does she know I lost Teddy?
Marion pushed the main office door open. Mrs. Young was standing behind the front desk. She was talking to a woman sitting in a guest chair.
“Mom!” Marion cried.
“Marion!” said Mrs. Young. “Your mom needs a quick word with you. I’ll be in the back at my desk.”
Mrs. Young left Marion and her mom alone in the reception area.
“What are you doing here?” Marion asked.
Her mom smiled. “I had to come talk to you,” Mrs. Ballard said. “I know you were worried this morning. About Teddy.”
Marion was confused. “I’m still worried about Teddy,” she said. “He’s lost.”
Mrs. Ballard shook her head. “Not anymore! We found him!”
“You did?!” Marion shouted. She was startled by how loudly that came out. “Where was he?” she asked more quietly.
Marion’s mom laughed. “Your dad went to put on his shoe this morning. And there was Teddy, nestled inside. A furry surprise!”
Marion sighed a huge sigh. She wrapped her arms around her mom and squeezed her tight. She had never felt so relieved in all her life.
Marion’s day had just gone from a zero to a ten.
Teddy’s Return
The next day, toward the end of school, Marion watched the clock.
The class was starting to pack up. They have no idea, thought Marion. They’re going to get an end-of-the-day surprise!
Sure enough, at exactly 3:14, there was a knock on the classroom door.
Mrs. Sienna opened the door. “Well, hello, Mrs. Ballard!” she said, greeting their visitor.
Marion’s mom walked in, carrying Teddy in his cage. All the kids gathered around excitedly to peek in and say hello.
“And hello to you, too, Teddy!” Mrs. Sienna added.
The class gathered around the little hamster, so excited to see him again.
Then Mrs. Sienna reached into the bowl of names. She pulled one out. “Joey!” she announced. “Congratulations! You are Teddy’s next host!”
“Yes!” Joey yelled in excitement.
Marion’s mom had brought all of Teddy’s things: his food, his water bottle, and the new hamster ball. Marion showed it to Joey and advised him to use it. “Otherwise Teddy can get away from you pretty fast,” she said.
Joey gave her a thumbs-up. “Thanks for the tip!”
When the dismissal bell rang, Amy, Ellie, and Liz walked out with Marion and her mom.
“Are you going to miss Teddy?” Ellie asked.
Marion nodded. “Yes,” she said. “I will.” She looked at her mom and smiled. “But Teddy was kind of a handful.”
Marion told her friends that she had a long story to share.
“Maybe we can meet up at The Critter Club this afternoon,” Liz suggested. “You can tell us all about it.”
“Great idea!” said Amy. “I have something for Penny and Rufus.”
“Oh! And I have a list!” said Marion, remembering her tiny notebook. She took it out of her pocket. It contained all the details from the pet supply store bulletin board.
Marion held it up to show her friends. “A list of some more animals who need our help!”
Read on for a sneak peek at the next Critter Club book:
Amy on Park Patrol
“Found another one!” Amy called out. She picked up an empty plastic bottle and put it in her recycling bag.
Amy was volunteering with Park Patrol, a group that cleaned up the Santa Vista Town Park. They met there one Saturday a month. Then they split up into teams to cover different areas.
Amy smiled proudly. She knew lots of wild animals lived in the park, like birds, squirrels, groundhogs, and foxes.
“Okay. Thank you, Amy,” said Mr. Schultz. “Next month we’ll meet at the other end of the park. There will be some construction starting at this end.”
“Construction?” said Jonah.
Mr. Schultz nodded. “The town has decided to build some stores here.”
This section of the park was kind of wild. It didn’t have bike paths or playgrounds or picnic areas. But to Amy, that’s what was beautiful about it.
Amy didn’t know what to think about this news. Was it good . . . or bad?
Callie Barkley loves animals. As a young girl, she dreamed of getting a cat or dog of her own until she discovered she was allergic to most of them. It was around this time that she realized the world was full of all kinds of critters that could use some love. She now lives with her husband and two kids in Connecticut. They share their home with exactly ten fish and a very active ant farm.
Tracy Bishop has loved drawing since she was a little girl in Japan. She spends her time illustrating books, reading, and collecting pens. She lives with her husband, son, and hairy dog, named Harry, in San Jose, California.
Little Simon
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
LITTLE SIMON
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division · 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020 · www.SimonandSchuster.com · First Little Simon hardcover edition February 2017 · Copyright © 2017 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. LITTLE SIMON is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and associated colophon is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc. For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or [email protected]. The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com. Designed by Laura Roode. Jacket illustrations by Marsha Riti. The text of this book was set in ITC Stone Informal Std.
Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-1-4814-8703-0 (hc)
ISBN 978-1-4814-8702-3 (pbk)
ISBN 978-1-4814-8704-4 (eBook)
Marion and the Secret Letter Page 2
