The Mystery of Mr. E

Mr. E Mystery

Camille scoops Carrot up into her arms, and the girls take off in a new direction to search for Mr. E. The air is getting warmer, so as they climb up the hill, they get so hot and sweaty they have to take off their hats and mittens and unzip their coats. When they finally reach the top, they’re all sweaty.

They sit down on a big rock to take a break, while Camille lets Carrot out of her arms. Willa exclaims this is the first time since they’ve been searching that everything hasn’t been covered with snow.

The girls turn around to find Carrot, and they see the bunny has hopped to the other side of the big rock. The girls slide down the rock and follow the bunny. When they lean down, they see a little cave under the overhanging rock. And inside, is Mr. E, surrounded by a litter of puppies!

Ashlyn says that it all makes sense now. Mr. E came back for food and water and to get warm fabrics, but always had to come back to the cave to watch over her puppies! Kendall explains that they probably passed this rock a hundred times, but it was always covered with snow.

Emerson runs off to get Aunt Miranda. She promises to keep the puppy discovery a secret. In just a little while, Aunt Miranda and Emerson come running up the path. Aunt Miranda’s hair is windblown and she’s not wearing a coat. As she squats down, she sees the puppies, gasps, and sits down on the ground. She’s astonished, to say the least.

Then Willa realizes. How did Mr. E have puppies? Isn’t Mr. E a boy? Aunt Miranda grins. “Did you say Mr. E?” she asks. The girls nod their heads. Aunt Miranda clarifies: “Her name is Mystery, not Mr. E.” Shu Ping named her that because she mysteriously appeared one day, and he never could find her owner.

The girls realize that this solves all the mysteries! They find the empty bag of popcorn and the costumes in the cave. Very carefully, each of the girls picks up a puppy, and they take the animals back to Aunt Miranda’s house. Mystery seems nervous about the girls carrying the puppies, but once they’re inside and settled in Mystery’s bed, she calms down.

The girls ask Aunt Miranda if they can keep the puppies in the garden. Aunt Miranda shakes her head, and says that five puppies in the garden is too much. They’ll dig up the flowers and vegetables and scare the animals. All of the girls are heartbroken about the idea of the puppies leaving them.