The Mystery of Mr. E
| Author | Valerie Tripp |
| Illustrator | Thu Thai |
| Originally Published | © 2017 American Girl |
| ISBN | 9781609588779 |
Table of Contents
Wishing for Fun
The five WellieWishers stand inside their playhouse, staring out the windows at the snowy and sleety day. They’re bored out of their minds, being stuck playing inside again. Camille and Emerson both wish something exciting would happen.
Then Ashlyn has an idea. Maybe they can put on costumes and play a guessing game of who they’re pretending to be. They’ll each say a rhyming riddle, and the others have to fill in the ending. The WellieWishers all dive into their costume trunk and pull out an assortment of fabrics and toys.
Ashlyn goes first. She puts on a pair of wings, a headband with two antennae, and is holding a flower wand. She states her rhyme:
Who am I?
When you see me flutter by,
You say, “Hello, …”
The girls echo “Butterfly” to finish the rhyme.
Then Willa goes. She wears a piece of fabric wrapped around both wrists like flying wings, and a mask that gives her a beak over her nose:
I fly at night, and when I do,
I spread my wings and hoot,
“Whoo-oo!”
Whoo-oo am I?
The girls answer that she’s an owl. Next is Emerson’s turn. She has a piece of fabric on her like a cape that glimmers in the lamplight. She also put on a headband with a cone with decorated moon and stars.
Moon on my hat,
Stars on my dress.
I’m a beautiful sight.
Who am I? Can you guess?
The girls respond that she must be the night sky.
Camille volunteers to go next. She put on a shell and starfish crown and a shimmery light blue and purple fabric poncho, and is holding a shell in her hand.
Shells and starfish live in me.
Who am I?
I am …
“The sea!” the girls respond. She curtsies, and the poncho floats around her like plants in a gentle wave. Lastly, Kendall steps up. She wears a leaf crown, a red cape, and is holding a rose on her stick:
I have lots of green leaves.
I’m a treat for your nose.
I’m a beautiful flower,
I’m a pretty, red …
The girls shout “Rose!” Camille sighs. She can’t wait until they have roses in the garden again. Ashlyn says the snow is pretty, but she wishes she could make it all melt away. The girls suggest they make up a song while they pretend Ashlyn can melt the snow with her wand. To the tune of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” Ashlyn sings:
We can go down to the pond
When the ice is gone.
Feed the ducklings and the geese,
Minnows, crayfish, swans.
With a duck, duck here,
And a duck, duck there,
Here a duck, there a duck,
Everywhere a duck, duck!
We can go down to the pond
When the ice is gone.
Emerson chips in:
We could dig a garden plot
And plant lots of seeds:
Carrots, pumpkins, melons, squash,
Lettuce beans, and peas.
Camille joins the fun:
We’ll walk barefoot
With the grass
Tickling our toes!
Wade in puddles, splash in mud,
Wash off with the hose.
With a splish-splash here,
And a splish-splash there,
Here a splish, there a splash
Everywhere a splish-splash.
We’ll walk barefoot with the grass
Tickling our toes.
Then, Aunt Miranda, Willa’s Aunt, pokes her head through the door. She introduces the girls to her friend, Mr. E. a big, hairy white dog bounds up to the door of the playhouse. Aunt Miranda explains that her friend, Shu Ping is traveling in China for a few weeks, so he’s asked Aunt Miranda to watch his dog.
The girls delightfully run outside to pet Mr. E. Ashlyn wonders if maybe her wand really is magic, because their wish for something new and fun just came true.