The Case of the Stolen Rosaries (Sisters of the Last Straw Book 3)

by Karen Kelly Boyce

  Sister Krumbles leaned her head back against the pine tree. She looked up to the sky to pray for help. Something shiny almost blinded her. Something at the very top of the tree sparkled in the sun. What is that? she wondered.

  The more she looked, the more colors she saw: red, blue, green, and purple sparkled in the branches. She decided to climb up the tree. I will find out what’s up there! she thought.

  She put Ronnie the Rooster down. It was very hard to reach the first branch. But she did! She grabbed the branch with both hands. She could not get up higher.

  I have to get my feet up on the branch, she thought. She swung her legs back and forth. Pine needles fell down onto her face. She swung her body harder and harder until she swung up and over the branch!

  “Whoa….ooa!” she yelled as she almost lost her grip. She stood up and climbed up to the next branch, and the next. Soon she was so high in the tree that she could not see the ground.

  “Baa…..aaa!” all the goats cried as they looked up at Sister Krumbles.

  “Cluck….uck!” said the hens.

  However, the loudest of all the animals was Ronnie the Rooster. “Doo……dle…..do!” he cried. He ran around and around the yard, crowing.

  Anna and Michael came outside to see what all the commotion was. They looked up in the tree. They watched Sister Krumbles grab a branch with both hands. It snapped and she began to fall!

  “Ah….ah!” she cried. But she grabbed another branch and clung to it.

  “We better get help!” shouted Michael. They ran to the convent to get the other Sisters. All the Sisters ran into the yard. When they looked up, they saw Sister Krumbles in the tree! “Come down!” they all yelled.

  Sister Krumbles was scared when she looked down. Then she looked up. She saw the shining object was only ten feet away. I’m not going to give up now! she thought.

  It shimmered with so many different colors. Sister Krumbles couldn’t even guess what it could be. She tried to reach the next branch above her. It was a little too far away. I’ll just have to make a jump for it, she thought. Up she jumped!

  But she could only grab it with one hand! “Sister Krumbles!” Mother Mercy screamed.

  Sister Krumbles was hanging by one hand. Her veil flapped in the wind. As they watched, she lifted her arm. She grabbed the branch with both hands. She pulled herself up.

  “Sister of a Squirrel!” shouted Sister Lacey.

  “Get the trampoline under her!” said the quick-thinking Sister Lovely.

  The Sisters grabbed the rim of the round trampoline and pulled it under Sister Krumbles. “Come down! Come down!” they shouted to her.

  But she did not seem to hear them. Hand over hand Sister Krumbles climbed. The branches were thinner at the top. The tree began to sway.

  But the prize was close at hand. She stretched out her hand to the shining mass. It was sitting in a tangle of thorny branches.

  The Sisters all moaned, “Oh…..oooooo!” as Sister Krumbles swayed to the right.

  The Sisters squealed, “Ah…..aaaaa!” as the top of the pine tree bent to the left.

  But Sister Krumbles reached for the thing again. She snatched it from the tree. The branch broke. She fell!

  Through the tree’s branches she fell! Her veil caught on twigs. Her habit caught on the branches. The Sisters moved the trampoline beneath her as fast as they could.

  Sister Krumbles landed straight onto it, with the shiny prize in her hands! Up and down she bounced! At last she lay still, covered with twigs and needles.

  Her face was red and scratched. But in her hands was a big shiny thing. It was made of twigs and pine needles. Woven through it were strings of beads and golden things.

  It was a crow’s nest! And it was made out of rosary beads! Right in the middle were two golden cufflinks and a silver lighter.

  Two crows flew in the air over the tree. “Caw! Caw!” they said. They sounded very mad.

  “Are you okay? Did you break any bones?” asked Mother Mercy.

  “I’m fine,” said Sister Krumbles. She sat up and Mother Mercy hugged her tightly. Sister Lovely smiled and thought, Mother Mercy does love Sister Krumbles.

  “Oh, Crowing Criminals! I think we found our thieves!” shouted Sister Lacey.

  “We’d better make sure,” said Sister Lovely. “Let’s do a test.”

  All the Sisters followed Sister Lovely as she went to the gift shop.

  She took some unfinished rosaries out of the Sisters’ work baskets. She put them on top of the counter. Then she made sure that the window was wide open.

  All of the Sisters hid behind the door and watched. Within a few minutes, one of the crows landed on the windowsill. It looked around, then flew right to the counter. It scooped up a string of beads in his beak, and flew straight out the window!

  “Who would have thought that a bird could be a robber!” giggled Sister Krumbles.

  “Flying Felons!” laughed Mother Mercy, sounding like Sister Lacey. “Wait till we tell the Bishop! I’ll call him right away.”

  She smiled. All of the other Sisters smiled too. It was so good to see Mother Mercy happy again.

  © 2014 Chesterton Press.com

  Chapter 8

  A Big Party

  “ZZZZ…..SHHHHH!” came the snores from Mother Mercy’s room. Past the sleeping Superior’s room and down the stairs the Sisters tiptoed.

  No one spoke as they snuck down the hall. They reached the kitchen. Then they turned on the lights and set to work. It was time to make the cake!

  Sister Lacey sifted the flour. Sister Lovely beat the eggs. Sister Wanda creamed the butter. Sister Krumbles greased the pans. Sister Shiny stood like a guard with a wet dishrag in her hand.

  She followed everyone, especially Sister Krumbles. She wiped up each tiny drop or spill as they worked. She cleaned every spoon and bowl. Soon the cake was in the oven.

  Looking around, all the Sisters were amazed. “Oh Spotlessly Shiny!” whispered Sister Lacey. “No one would guess that we just made a cake!”

  “Good job, Sister Shiny!” Sister Krumbles said. “We could not have done it without you!”

  “The cake should be done by the end of morning prayers,” said Sister Wanda. “I’ll take it out to cool once Mother Mercy goes to her office. While she is busy there, we can decorate the cake and the house.”

  After prayer, the yummy smell of baking cake filled the convent. The other Sisters wondered if Mother Mercy would smell it. But she seemed too happy to notice after her phone call to the bishop. She was so happy that the mystery of the stolen beads had been solved.

  Once Mother Mercy shut her office door, her Sisters went to work. Sister Wanda tied balloons to all the chairs. Sister Shiny hung the streamers and the signs. Sister Krumbles decorated the cake with whipped cream and strawberries.

  Sister Lacey put out all the plates and glasses. Sister Lovely heated all the trays of food.

  The guests began to arrive. Michael and Anna stood on the porch to let them in so that the doorbell would not ring. At last, everything was ready. Sister Lovely knocked on Mother Mercy’s door.

  “Mother Mercy!” she asked. “Could you come to the kitchen and help me with something?”

  Mother Mercy came out of the office with a smile. When she reached the kitchen door, Sister Lovely stood back. She let Mother Mercy open it.

  Everyone jumped out. “Surprise!” the guests yelled, “Happy Birthday!”

  Mother Mercy was stunned! She had forgotten all about her birthday. She was so happy that she grinned from ear to ear. One by one, all the guests kissed her cheek. They each wished her another year of joy. Sister Krumbles led her into the dining room.

  There, the very tall strawberry shortcake stood. It glowed with many candles. Everyone sang “Happy Birthday!”

  “My favorite kind of cake!” Mother Mercy cried. Sister Krumbles cut her a large slice of the freshly baked cake.

  Suddenly, Mother Mercy’s face grew red. But she was not mad. She was ve
ry sad. “This is why you were baking that cake in the middle of the night, wasn’t it?” she asked Sister Krumbles. “Oh no! I can’t believe I yelled at you when you were baking a birthday cake for me!” Mother Mercy put her head into her hands and began to cry. “When will I learn to control my temper?”

  Sister Krumbles went to her friend Mother Mercy and hugged her tight. “Jesus is helping all of us. He’ll give us the grace to change if we ask Him,” she said.

  Mother Mercy hugged her back. “Can you ever forgive me?”

  Sister Krumbles hugged her back. “I will always forgive you!” All the Sisters smiled.

  “Now’s the perfect time for you to open your birthday present!” announced Sister Lacey. She set the present in front of Mother Mercy.

  Excited, Mother Mercy tore at the bow and the papers. Inside was a large sign with a long prayer on it. There was a border of flowers of many colors around the words. “Why, it’s beautiful!”

  “‘The Prayer of St. Francis,’” Sister Lovely read the words at the top. “Please read it to us, Mother Mercy,” said Sister Lovely.

  Mother Mercy read:

  ORD, make me an instrument of Your peace.

  Where there is hatred, let me sow love,

  Where there is injury, pardon,

  Where there is doubt, faith,

  Where there is despair, hope,

  Where there is darkness, light,

  Where there is sadness, joy.

  divine Master,

  grant that I may seek not so much to be consoled as to console,

  To be understood as to understand,

  To be loved as to love,

  or it is in giving that we receive, in pardoning that we are pardoned,

  And in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.

  All the Sisters and their guests were moved. Mother Mercy wiped away a tear. “I’m going to put this in my office so I can read it every day,” she said.

  “I will hang it for you!” said Sister Krumbles. And she ran out of the room.

  Everyone was enjoying the cake and other food when the doorbell rang.

  In came the Bishop and Mr. Lemon! Everyone was surprised!

  “What brings you here?” asked Mother Mercy.

  “I wanted to wish you a happy birthday, Mother Mercy,” said the Bishop. “I brought your neighbor along because I want him to be here when Officer Mallon comes over. He should be here any minute.”

  The Bishop walked around, shaking hands and blessing people. But Mr. Lemon would not smile at anyone. He would not take the piece of cake Sister Shiny offered him.

  Officer Mallon arrived. The policeman had a big grin on his face. He wished Mother Mercy a very happy birthday.

  “Well, Bishop,” said Mr. Lemon, “you promised if I came with you to this stupid party, you would tell me who the robber is. Who is it?”

  The Bishop grinned and said, “The robbers live right next door to you!”

  “What?” yelped Mr. Lemon, “So you’re saying that the Sisters are the robbers?”

  “By no means,” said the Bishop. “But robbers are your neighbors!” He led Mr. Lemon to the window. “Look up the old pine tree. The robbers live there!”

  Mr. Lemon looked out the window. “Are they so poor that they are living in a tree house?” He looked as though he thought he would see some poor people living in a tree.

  “Not a tree house, a nest!” said the Bishop. “The robbers are those two crows. They live in the pine tree between your house and the convent.”

  “Crows?” yelled Mr. Lemon. “Why would a crow steal?”

  “Crows and ravens build nests out of shiny objects,” said Farmer Murphy. “They hunt all around and they steal whatever they find. But of course they do not know that they are stealing.”

  “Here is the proof!” said Officer Mallon. He showed him the large crows’ nest made of rosaries. “Here are your cufflinks and lighter. They were part of this nest high up in the tree! The Sisters found them there!”

  Mr. Lemon did not say thank you. He took his things and stomped out of the house. “I don’t believe it! A bird!…a bird!” he growled.

  After he was gone, Mother Mercy said sadly, “He can’t believe it wasn’t us. He wants to believe that we caused all the trouble.”

  The Bishop smiled. “I guess the truth ‘flies’ in the face of what he wants to believe.” Everyone laughed. The Bishop joined the party and the merriment continued.

  Sister Krumbles was too busy to enjoy the fun. She wanted to hang St. Francis’s Prayer perfectly on Mother Mercy’s wall. Looking around, she saw the cross high over the desk. That is the perfect place! Every time Mother Mercy looks up at Jesus, she will see the prayer!

  But the spot was too high to reach. Then she remembered there was a ladder in the shed out back. She hurried to get it.

  Sister Krumbles was very careful as she carried the ladder into the office. She was careful when she set up the ladder. It unlocked with a latch. She was careful as she laid it against the wall. She was extra careful as she climbed up the ladder with the hammer, nails, and sign.

  “Bang!—bang!—bang!” It only took three hits to get the nail just right. Sister Krumbles hung the prayer. It was perfect. That went very well, she thought. She grabbed the ladder but she did not close the latch.

  Then she heard a man laughing. That sounds like our bishop! she thought. Is it really him?

  She just had to go and peek in the dining room. When she saw the bishop, she was stunned and ran to greet him. She forgot she was holding the ladder. The end of the ladder came unlatched and swung out. Everyone ducked so that they would not get hit.

  “Sister Krumbles, be careful!” Sister Wanda cried.

  “Of what?” asked Sister Krumbles. She turned around to see Sister Wanda. The end of the ladder flew around the other way. The Bishop ducked. Mother Mercy ducked. All the guests ducked. But the strawberry shortcake could not duck.

  The ladder hit the top layer of the cake. The creamy shortcake flew through the air. It flew right out the window!

  There was an angry shout outside. Everyone ran to look. The cake had hit Mr. Lemon in the face. He had been standing next to the pine tree with a rock in his hand. Maybe he was going to throw it at the crows. But now he had whipped cream on his face. Two strawberries slid down his face over his eyes.

  He wiped off his face. Then he yelled, “You nuns are nothing but trouble! I will fix you!” He started to throw the rock at the Sisters as they looked out the window.

  But just then there was a “Kerkoo Kerkoo!” And Ronnie the Rooster rushed over. His wings were spread. He pecked Mr. Lemon’s legs hard.

  Mr. Lemon yelled. He dropped the rock and ran. He did not stop running until he was back inside his house.

  Ronnie the Rooster stopped at the edge of the Sisters’ yard. He fluffed his tail. He strutted back and forth. “Roosters protect what belongs to them,” Farmer Murphy said. He winked at Sister Krumbles.

  Sister Krumbles was so proud of Ronnie that she wanted to give him a hug. After she brought the ladder back to the shed, she did just that.

  When the last guest had left, the Sisters cleaned up from the party. “I’ll sleep well tonight,” said Sister Lovely.

  “Oh! Before we go to pray, I have something for you,” said Mother Mercy, “There is a letter you will want to see.” She took it out of her pocket and unfolded it. “Your cousin wants to come and visit. over Thanksgiving week. Isn’t that wonderful?”

  Sister Lovely smiled. “Yes, it is. But I have so many cousins. Which cousin is it?”

  Mother Mercy looked back down at the letter. “Her name is Miss Gabby Fibber, and she says she should arrive by train.”

  Looking up, Mother Mercy saw all the color drain from the pretty Sister’s face. Mother Mercy was stunned. Why is she so afraid? wondered the Mother Superior.

  Please join

  the Sisters of the Last Straw in

  their next adventure:

  The Case of t
he Thanksgiving Visitor!

  About the Author

  Karen Kelly Boyce

  Karen Kelly Boyce lives on a farm in New Jersey with her husband, Michael. She is a member of the Jackson Writer’s Group, The Catholic Writer’s Guild, and the Central New Jersey Catholic Writer’s Guild. With two grown children, Amanda and Michael, she and her retired husband like to travel and enjoy road trips across the country.

  Karen is best known for her adult series of novels which are based on the graces of the Rosary. Her three published novels are According to thy Word, Into the Way of Peace, and Down Right Good. All three have received the Seal of Approval from the Catholic Writer’s Guild, and Down Right Good has won the Eric Hoffer Award for commercial fiction.

  She has also published one non-fiction work on her experience with cancer. A Bend in the Road teaches cancer patients how to become cancer survivors with humor, understanding, and practical advice. All the proceeds from this book go to the research department of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

  With the birth of her two grandchildren, Conner and Kaitlyn, Karen started a series of children’s books called the Sisters of the Last Straw. This is the third book of the series.

  All of Karen’s books can be found online on her website, www.queenofangelsfarm.com.

  About the Illustrator

  Sue Anderson Gioulis

  Sue Anderson Gioulis completed her art training at Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida.

  She is the illustrator of the children’s books Off We Go and You’re Lovable to Me, and her drawings and graphic designs are displayed in several states on the East Coast.

  Sue is a member of the Manasquan River Group of Artists in New Jersey. She enjoys life by the shore with her family in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. Her work can be viewed online at: www.gioulisgraphics.com.