Free Iva Honeysuckle Discovers the World by Candice Ransom Page A

watermelon rinds, corn cobs, green cheese, and a squashed birthday cake. Iva decided she would never eat again.
    After a while, Heaven said testily, “How far down is this so-called treasure?”
    â€œJust a foot.” Iva peered into the soupy hole Heaven had dug so far.
    â€œA foot starting where ?” Heaven asked. “How far down does the garbage pit go before it’s regular ground?”
    â€œNot too far,” Iva said, though she didn’t really know. “If we dig a little more, we should hit real dirt, and then it’ll be a foot down from that.”
    â€œWhat’s this we stuff?” Heaven said. “When are you going to take a turn?”
    Iva pretended she didn’t hear. “Ludwell’s map said General Braddock buried the gold in a cannon sticking up. The end had a wooden plug in it.”
    â€œYeah? So?”
    â€œI think the hole should be wider.” Iva spaced her hands apart. “Like this. That way we have a better chance of finding the cannon.”
    Heaven actually agreed. “Makes sense.” She went back to digging, widening the hole. Soon she said, “I hit red dirt.”
    The red clay General Braddock wrote about, Iva thought. “Keep going!” she said encouragingly.
    Heaven dug and dug and dug. “Okay. This is one foot down.”
    â€œHow do you know?” Iva asked.
    â€œI have a ruler leg.”
    â€œA what?” Iva wondered if the sun was making Heaven funny in the head.
    â€œRemember when we were studying inches and feet and all that stuff?” Heaven said. “At least I was. Who knows what you were doing in your class.”
    â€œI studied that stuff, too,” Iva said, indignant.
    â€œAnyway, I measured my leg with my ruler. From my knee to the top of my foot is exactly twelve inches long.” Heaven flexed her leg to demonstrate. “I figured it would come in handy if I wanted to know how long a foot was.”
    Iva was astonished. Why hadn’t she ever thought of that? If she wasn’t careful, Heaven could turn out to be a better discoverer than her.
    â€œOkay,” she said. “Check and see how deep it is.”
    Heaven stuck her leg in the hole. “Exactly one foot. But I don’t see any cannon.”
    â€œGeneral Braddock could have been off an inch or two,” Iva said. “Keep digging.”
    Heaven puffed her damp bangs upward and jammed the shovel in partway. Ching! went the shovel. “I hit something!”
    â€œMust be the cannon!” Iva stooped so quick she got a stitch in her side. The shovel had revealed a sliver of yellow metal. “Gold! Dig!”
    With the shovel, Heaven scraped around the edges. Then she reached down and tugged it free. “It’s awful big for a gold coin.”
    â€œMoney was bigger in those days.” Iva felt like she was going to keel over as Heaven pulled out a flat dirt-encrusted object.
    â€œHere’s your treasure.”
    It was a brass plaque that said Office .
    Iva’s hopes dropped to her toenails. A door sign! A stupid door sign!
    â€œMaybe,” she said thinly, “we need to dig in a new spot.” The handle of the shovel was slapped into her palm. “What’s this?”
    â€œYour turn,” Heaven said.
    â€œBut you’re the strong one! That’s why you’re helping me!” Iva protested.
    â€œI’m hot and tired. And I have blisters on my hands.”
    â€œYou’re my silent partner!” Iva said. “You’re not supposed to complain.”
    Heaven plunked down on a patch of grass. “Let me know when you find the cannon. I’ll help you count the money.”
    Iva jabbed the shovel into the hole. Maybe it was better this way. She would discover the treasure first. She would get all the credit, which she deserved.
    She scooped a shovelful of dirt and threw it over her shoulder. Dirt spattered Heaven’s shirt.
    â€œHey!” Heaven