The Mudhole Mystery Read Online Free Page B

children.”
    Shawn perked up his ears. “Yes, I know that. It is true what Dunkum say.”
    â€œYour grandma’s book sounds cool,” Abby said.
    â€œI’ll ask her to bring it sometime,” Dunkum said.
    Just then Jason came in the gate. Soon, Stacy and Dee Dee were back. All the Cul-de-sac Kids were present. Except Eric.
    â€œLet’s talk about your idea,” Abby said to Dunkum.
    â€œOK,” he agreed and he began to tell the kids.
    â€œI like museums,” Stacy said. “This is a terrific idea.”
    Dee Dee and Carly thought the idea was silly.
    â€œWho would pay to see all this junk?” Carly asked.
    â€œYou might be surprised,” Dunkum said. “And it’s not junk!”
    Carly twirled her hair. “I’d rather ride bikes any day.”
    Dee Dee didn’t say much. “If it makes money, that’s good, I guess.”
    Jason wanted to be in charge of snack food. “Who wants to help me?”
    â€œWait a minute,” Abby said. “We haven’t voted yet.”
    â€œLet’s wait for Eric,” Dunkum said. “We don’t want him to feel left out.”
    So they waited. And waited.
    It was almost two o’clock. Eric still wasn’t back.
    â€œOh, well, we can vote tomorrow,” Jason said.
    â€œTomorrow’s Sunday,” Abby said.
    â€œOK, we’ll vote after church,” said Dunkum.
    It was settled. They’d have a meeting and vote tomorrow.
    Dunkum couldn’t wait.
    He thought about the vote. All through supper he thought about it. And during his shower.
    There were five boys and four girls. One of them might be a tie-breaker.
    Would his great idea fall flat?

TWELVE
    After church was dinner. Dunkum had to go home and eat. So did the other kids.
    There was no time for a club meeting or the vote. Dunkum had to wait a little longer.
    He poked at his dinner.
    â€œIs something wrong?” Dunkum’s mother asked.
    He was silent.
    â€œDunkum?” his dad asked.
    Finally, he looked up. “Have you ever had a great idea?”
    â€œLots of times,” said his dad.
    â€œWhen you were a kid?” Dunkum asked.
    â€œSure.” His dad chuckled. “Why do you ask?”
    Dunkum sighed. “Did you ever have to wait?”
    His mother frowned. “What do you mean?”
    â€œDid your friends have to decide if it was a good idea?”
    Dunkum’s dad nodded his head. “Sometimes, I guess.”
    â€œThen you must’ve had lots of friends,” Dunkum said.
    â€œYou can say that again!”
    â€œWell, I like discovering things by myself.” Dunkum was thinking about his muddy discovery. “I’m not so sure if having lots of friends is good.”
    His parents stopped eating. They were staring at him.
    Finally, his mother spoke. “You are theonly child in our family. Is that why you feel this way?”
    Dunkum nodded. “Maybe.”
    â€œLet me tell you something,” his dad said. “A block full of friends can be good. Sometimes not.”
    Dunkum listened.
    â€œI grew up with three brothers and two sisters,” his dad explained. “We were a kid’s club all by ourselves.”
    Dunkum scratched his head. He couldn’t imagine that many in the family.
    â€œSix kids and two parents,” his dad said. “Sometimes Mom and Dad would pile us in the car. We liked to visit our uncle and aunt. They had three kids.”
    â€œThat’s a lot of kids all together!” Dunkum said.
    His dad looked around the kitchen. “Can you imagine all of us eating here?”
    Dunkum blinked his eyes. “You mean, right here? In Mom’s kitchen?”
    â€œYep, this house belonged to Uncle Joe.We came here in the summers.”
    â€œA long time ago?” Dunkum asked.
    His mother nodded. “Your father was eight the very first summer.”
    Dunkum laughed. It was hard to imagine. His dad had once been a kid.