Free Mystery of the Hot Air Balloon by Charles Tang

CHAPTER 1
Landing!
    B enny sighed. “There’s nothing to do,” he said. Benny was six years old, and he liked to keep busy.
    No one answered him. At the kitchen table, Violet was drawing, Jessie was reading a book on the history of flight, and Henry was looking through cookbooks.
    “I wish we could go somewhere,” Benny said. “Have an adventure.”
    The Aldens often took trips. They had adventures wherever they went.
    “I can’t go anywhere,” Henry told him. “I’m too busy.”
    Mrs. McGregor, the Aldens’ housekeeper, was away for the weekend. While she was gone, fourteen-year-old Henry was the cook.
    “And I want to draw,” Violet said. She was ten and a talented artist, but she never seemed to have enough time for her artwork.
    “Reading this book is an adventure,” twelve-year-old Jessie said. “It’s all about flying.”
    Henry nodded. “I read that book,” he said. “It was really interesting.”
    “Even if we weren’t busy,” Jessie said, “Grandfather said he wouldn’t be home from the mill until late.”
    Benny had forgotten that. “Looks like everyone’s busy but me,” he said.
    “Why don’t you call some of your friends?” Violet suggested.
    “Yes,” Jessie agreed. “They could come here to play. I’ll make popcorn.”
    “They’re all busy, too,” Benny told them.
    Everyone was silent.
    Finally, Violet said, “You could make another map.”
    Benny had made a map of the neighborhood. He liked drawing maps and he was good at it.
    “No,” Benny said. “I don’t want to make a map today.”
    “Why don’t you run your train?” Henry asked him.
    Benny thought about that. He liked his electric train. When they first came to live with Grandfather Alden, he ran it every day. Lately, he’d been too busy with other things. “That’s a good idea, Henry,” Benny said.
    Benny happily skipped out of the kitchen and went upstairs. He tiptoed down the long hall to his room. Outside the door, he paused to listen. Suddenly, he threw open the door. It was a game he played. He liked to pretend that the animals on his wallpaper — rabbits and dogs and bears — came to life when he left the room. He always hoped he would catch them at play. It never worked. The animals were always just as he had left them: wallpaper figures on a blue background.
    “One of these days, I’ll catch you,” he told them.
    He sat down on the floor beside his train engine. He turned it on, and the train began to move slowly along the track. He liked all the cars, but his favorite car was the boxcar. It looked just like the full-sized boxcar he and the other Aldens had lived in before coming to Grandfather’s house, after their parents had died.
    Benny quickly grew tired of the train. He turned it off and got on his rocking horse near the window. He liked to pretend it was a racehorse and he was a jockey. His feet touched the floor. He was growing too big for the rocking horse. A jockey could not be taller than his horse!
    Benny walked to the window. From it he could see the whole yard. Near the fountain stood the old boxcar. Mr. Alden had had it moved here so the children could go out to see it anytime. They hadn’t spent much time there lately. They were too busy.
    “I haven’t forgotten you, old boxcar,” he said aloud.
    Suddenly, a shadow fell across the lawn. An airplane, Benny thought. Too bad they couldn’t go on a flight. That would be a good adventure.
    The shadow couldn’t belong to a plane; it was moving too slowly. And it was growing larger and larger!
    Benny’s mouth dropped open. Whatever was making the shadow was about to land on the lawn!
    Benny raced out of his room and down the stairs.
    “Something’s landing on the lawn!” he shouted as he ran into the kitchen.
    Watch, who had been sleeping at Jessie’s feet, sat up and barked.
    “Benny, don’t be so noisy,” Jessie scolded.
    Henry looked up from his book. “Something’s landing?” he said. “What? A pterodactyl?” he