The Garden Thief Read Online Free

to find out who is vandalizing the gardens and who’s stealing vegetables.”
    Taylor looked at Violet and Jessie. “Well,” she said at last, “good luck.” Then she stepped into her garden and closed the gate behind herself.
    Jessie and Violet stretched and brushed off their knees. “Mrs. McGregor will be picking us up soon,” said Jessie. “We can give her the thinnings for salad.”
    “I like Taylor,” said Violet. “She looks good in purple and yellow.”
    Just as Jessie stooped down to pick up the basket of thinned lettuce, radishes, and carrots, they heard Taylor Harris shouting loudly.
    “My lettuce is gone!” she shouted. “And my kale! My lettuce and kale are gone!”
    Jessie and Violet opened the gate to Taylor’s garden and rushed in. And Henry, Benny, Mr. Yee, and another man came running in after them.

CHAPTER 4
Rabbits Everywhere
    “Lucasta’s rabbits did this!” shouted Taylor. “I know they did! Her rabbits ate all my lettuce and kale!”
    Henry looked down at the ground, where the lettuce and kale had been. He saw small holes where the plants had been. “I don’t think it was rabbits,” said Henry.
    “Who are you?” Taylor demanded.
    Henry explained who he and Benny were, and then Roger Walski told Jessie and Violet who he was. After everybody seemed to know who everybody else was, Taylor said, “It was those rabbits, I know it was. I won’t stand for this!”
    Henry shook his head. “If rabbits ate your plants, there would be some leaves left. We would see teeth marks on the leaves, where the rabbits nibbled them. But there’s nothing left of your lettuce or kale.” Henry pointed to the holes in the ground. “Not even the roots are left. Your plants were pulled out of the ground.”
    “Henry is right,” said Mr. Yee to Taylor.
    “I don’t care what Henry says,” shouted Taylor. “There are rabbits everywhere, dozens of rabbits! Big gray ones! White ones with spots all over! I just know the rabbits did it.”
    Roger spoke up. “Whoever did this, it just goes to show that this is a bad spot for a community garden. There’s good land that’s empty a mile up the road. We can all get together and have the village of Greenfield sign a lease for that land. We can garden in a better place next year. No vandals,” he said, “no thieves.”
    Taylor Harris was so angry that she wasn’t really listening to Roger. “I’m going to march right up that hill,” she said, pointing toward the Kirk farm across the dirt road, “and into that barn. That’s where the rabbits are. They just hippity-hop down here and eat whatever they like.”
    Taylor stomped out of her garden and up the hill. Everybody else followed her.
    “But Taylor,” said Jessie, trying to keep up with the angry young woman, “how could the rabbits get into your garden? They couldn’t open the gate.”
    “They probably dug under the fence,” said Taylor as she strode uphill.
    “But you didn’t look to see if that was true,” said Jessie. “And besides, like Henry said, the rabbits wouldn’t pull your plants out by the roots.”
    “I don’t trust Lucasta,” said Taylor. “She probably dropped the rabbits over my fence and let them eat everything.”
    “But how would the rabbits get out?” asked Henry.
    “Don’t argue with me,” Taylor said. “The rabbits are responsible.”
    By this time Taylor, the Aldens, Mr. Yee and Roger had all crossed the dirt road and were walking toward an old white barn whose wide doors were open.
    Taylor was about to walk through the open doors when Alex Kirk stepped out right in front of her.
    “Have you come to see my father?” he asked.
    “No,” said Taylor.
    Lucasta came up right behind Alex. “Have you come to see my rabbits?” she asked.
    Benny looked past Alex and Lucasta and into the barn. “Look at all the rabbits!” he said.
    “Prize-winning rabbits,” said Lucasta.
    “Sneaky, lettuce-eating rabbits,” said Taylor. “Rabbits who got into my