Free Poison Frog Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page A

that’s probably best,” Grandfather added. “I don’t think he’s cut out for zoo work.”
    Lindsey offered some further details: “He’s agreed to sell his part of the zoo, and in return no charges will be pressed against him.”
    “But won’t the next partner be the same way?” Danny asked. “Won’t he be a businessman, too?”
    Jessie smiled and shook her head. “I doubt it. Jordan’s the new partner.”
    Danny looked surprised. “You’re kidding!”
    Lindsey said, “Nope. Jordan has decided to run the zoo entirely by himself from now on. He had to take out a big bank loan to buy out Mr. Colby’s share, but I think in the long run he’ll be a lot happier. He said he learned a lot from Mr. Colby about how to run a business, and he thinks he can do it on his own. We’ll all help him, of course. It’ll be tight for a while, but we’ll manage.”
    “And we’ll help, too!” Benny pointed out.
    “That’s right,” Lindsey said, looking at the little boy. “Benny and his family have agreed to come by every now and then and help out with some of the little tasks. That’ll certainly save us some money.”
    “Well, that’s really terrific,” Danny said, still scribbling. “This is going to make one fabulous story. Finally, what about the kid who actually took the animals? Will he be charged by the police?”
    Lindsey said, “No. Jordan came up with a better idea ...”
    The Aldens fixed their attention on her. Even Grandfather opened his eyes. Lindsey had announced right before the reporter came that Jordan had something special in mind for Brian, but she wanted to wait until just the right moment to reveal it.
    “He’s going to rehire Brian as an apprentice keeper,” she said.
    Violet smiled. “That’s wonderful!”
    “Good for him,” Grandfather said.
    “He didn’t really seem like he had his heart in being a thief anyway,” Henry joked.
    “No, he didn’t,” Lindsey said. “He wants to take care of animals. He’s a keeper by nature, he just has to learn to be more responsible. So we’re going to give him some training and we’ll see how he does.”
    “What did he do with the money he got from Mr. Colby for taking the animals?” Danny asked.
    “The money goes back to the zoo,” Jessie answered.
    Danny wrote a few more lines, then closed the cover of his notepad.
    “Well, this has been one incredible story, I must say,” Danny told them. “The best one I’ve ever covered. I don’t know how I’m going to top it.”
    “Oh, just keep an eye on my grandchildren,” Grandfather Alden advised, “and I’m sure you’ll have lots to write about. They’ll make you famous!”
    Henry put his hand on Benny’s shoulder. “Maybe we should tell you about what happened to Benny right before he saw you at the food court that day. Now, that was really news!”

    Danny’s face brightened with anticipation. “What? What happened?”
    “I lost my appetite for a few minutes!” Benny said, and everyone burst out laughing.
    “And around here,” Grandfather added, “that really is big news.”

About the Author
    G ERTRUDE C HANDLER W ARNER discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book, The Boxcar Children, quickly proved she had succeeded.
    Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write the mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be like to set up housekeeping in a caboose or freight car — the situation the Alden children find themselves in.
    When Miss Warner received requests for more adventures involving Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden, she began additional stories. In each, she chose a special setting and introduced unusual or eccentric characters who liked the unpredictable.
    While the mystery element is central to each of Miss