“I wish we had a mystery to solve,” Benny Alden said, kicking a stone that lay in the road. Benny was six years old and liked to do exciting things, like tracking down clues and finding suspects.
Benny’s sister Jessie, who was twelve, was more patient. “I’m sure something mysterious will come along.”
“Something always does,” added their fourteen-year-old brother, Henry.
The Aldens had reached the grocery store in downtown Greenfield. Their grandfather’s housekeeper, Mrs. McGregor, had asked them to pick up some things for dinner. The others waited while ten-year-old Violet, wearing her favorite lavender sweater, tied their dog’s leash to a parking meter. “We’ll just be a minute, Watch,” she told him. The dog lay down on the sidewalk.
“I wish Watch could come inside with us,” said Benny. “He could help pick out his favorite dog food.”
Watch’s ears pricked up, and he quickly stood. But it wasn’t the mention of dog food that had interested him.
“What is it, boy?” asked Henry.
Watch started barking loudly. The children looked in the direction Watch was facing and saw a young man with dark curly hair coming out of the grocery store. He was walking with a dog.
“I think Watch just spotted that golden retriever,” said Violet.
“I thought Jessie said dogs weren’t allowed in the grocery store,” said Benny.
“From the dog’s harness, I’d say that’s a very special kind of dog,” Jessie said, as the man and dog came closer. “It looks like a guide dog.”
“What’s that?” asked Benny.
“It’s a dog that helps blind people,” Jessie explained.
“If that man can’t see, then why is he wearing a blindfold over his eyes?” asked Violet.
The children took a closer look. Violet was right. The man had a rolled-up scarf tied around his head, covering his eyes.
Watch was still barking, but Jessie managed to quiet him by gently stroking his head.
The man stopped on the sidewalk and the guide dog sat down beside him. The children watched as the man removed his blindfold and spoke to a red-haired woman who had been walking behind him.
“I’m going to go pat that dog!” cried Benny, running toward the golden retriever.
Benny squatted and reached out his hand toward the dog.
“You know, you really shouldn’t distract a guide dog when it’s working,” the man told Benny, his voice gentle. “But it’s okay this time.”
“What do you mean?” Benny asked, as the other Aldens came to join him.
“I’m sorry if my brother is bothering you,” Henry said to the man.
“Oh, no, it’s quite all right. I enjoy meeting young people who are interested in animals,” said the man with the curly hair. “I’m Jason Peters.” He motioned to the woman beside him. “This is Mrs. Carter. She opened the Greenfield Guide Dog School just a few years ago. I work there as an instructor. And this is Ginger.” He stroked the golden retriever’s back. “She’s one of my students.”
“She looks like a very good student,” said Violet, noticing how obediently Ginger sat at Jason’s feet.
“As a matter of fact, she just passed her final exam,” Jason said. “She was leading me, and Mrs. Carter was walking behind to make sure Ginger did everything right.”
“Is that why you were wearing a blindfold?” asked Jessie.
“Yes,” Jason said. “I had to make sure Ginger would be able to lead someone who couldn’t see. Now that she’s completed her training, a blind person can use Ginger to get around. They’ll be able to go to stores and restaurants, ride on buses, even cross busy streets, and never have to worry.”
“That’s amazing,” said Henry. “How did you teach Ginger to do that?”
“It takes a lot of training,” Jason explained. “If you’d like to come by the school tomorrow, I’ll show you how we work.”
“Wow!” cried Benny.
“We’d love to!” said Jessie. “By the way, we’re the Aldens. I’m Jessie, and this is Henry, Violet, and Benny.”
“My goodness,” said Mrs. Carter. “Are you James Alden’s grandchildren?”
“Yes, we are,” answered Henry.
“I went to college with your grandfather. We’ve been friends for years,” Mrs. Carter said. “I’d hoped to someday meet the wonderful grandchildren he’s always talking about.”
There was a whining sound behind them, and everyone turned to see Watch, still sitting by the parking meter. He was getting restless.
“That’s our dog,” said Benny proudly, as Jessie walked over and untied Watch’s leash from the meter. She led him over to meet Jason, Mrs. Carter, and Ginger. After the two dogs had sniffed each other, Jessie told Watch to sit down, and he sat quietly at her feet.
“Do you think he could become a guide dog?” asked Benny.
“He might,” said Jason, smiling at Benny. “He looks like a very good dog. But our school only uses special dogs that are trained from the time they’re puppies.”
“I can see that you children know how to handle animals,” said Mrs. Carter. “I have an idea I’d like to discuss with your grandfather.”
“What is it?” asked Benny eagerly.
Mrs. Carter just smiled. “I think I’ll wait and speak with him first.” She looked at her watch. “Oh! I’ve got to run. Nice meeting you all. See you later, Jason.”
As Mrs. Carter hurried off, the children wondered what her idea was. They were so thrilled about visiting the guide dog school that they almost forgot to buy the things Mrs. McGregor had asked them to get for supper!
That evening, the children could hardly wait for their grandfather to get home so they could tell him about their plans for the next day. It was almost dinnertime. They sat in the old boxcar on the lawn behind their grandfather’s house and listened for his car.
The boxcar hadn’t always been in that spot. It used to be in the woods. When their parents had died, the children had run away and lived in the boxcar. But then their kind grandfather had found them and brought them to live with him. They’d been very happy ever since. The only thing they’d missed was their boxcar, and so Grandfather had moved it to the backyard.
“I think I hear Grandfather’s car now!” cried Benny, jumping up and running out the door of the boxcar. The other children followed.
Sure enough, Grandfather was just pulling into the garage.
“Grandfather! Grandfather!” they all cried, running up to him and giving him big hugs.
“What a nice welcome!” Mr. Alden said.
“Guess what!” said Benny. “We’re going to visit a guide dog school tomorrow!”
“Are your suitcases packed?” their grandfather asked.
“We’re just going for the day,” Violet said.
“That’s not what I hear,” said Grandfather.
“What do you mean?” asked Henry.
“I got a phone call from my old friend Betsy Carter today, and she wants you to spend the week there,” Grandfather explained. “There are extra rooms on the dormitory floor, where you can stay.”
The children were so surprised that at first they didn’t know what to say. But Benny was rarely quiet. “A whole week?” he asked.
“Yes,” Grandfather said. “Betsy only has a small staff, and it seems that most of them are away on vacation, so she needs some help. If you aren’t interested, I could always call her back — ”
“Of course we’re interested!” Jessie exclaimed. “What a week we’re going to have!”
Benny’s eyes lit up. “And maybe we’ll even find a mystery!”
The others laughed, but they didn’t realize that Benny was right. |