The Boxcar Children Mysteries: Books One through Twelve Read Online Free PDF

nails,” he said to himself. “They are no good to him, but they are fine for me. I can use every old nail I get.”
    Then he washed the floor and washed his paint brush.
    When Dr. Moore came home, he found Henry putting brushes, paint cans, and other things on the shelf.
    “My, my, my!” he cried. He looked at the garage and laughed and laughed. He laughed until his mother came out to see what he was laughing at.
    “Look, Mother!” he said. “Look at those tools. Look at the shelf. Look at my hammers. One, two, three, four hammers. Your hammer, my hammer, and two other hammers. They were all lost. Can you use a hammer, Henry?”

    “Yes, indeed I can!” cried Henry.
    “Take one,” said Dr. Moore. “You found them all.”
    “Oh, thank you!” said Henry. He showed the doctor the bent nails and was told that he could have those, too. He could hardly wait now to start home, because he was so eager to show Benny and his sisters his new hammer and nails.
    “Tomorrow will be Sunday,” said Dr. Moore. “Will you come again the next day?”
    “Oh, yes,” replied Henry, who had lost all track of the days.
    “The cherries must be picked,” said the doctor. He looked at Henry in a queer way. “We could use any number of cherry pickers if they were all as careful as you.”
    “Could you?” asked Henry eagerly. “Well, I’ll come.”
    So the three said good-by, and Henry started for home. He had another dollar, a pocket full of old nails, a hammer, and the pile of vegetables that he had left at noon. On the way home he bought some salt.
    When he arrived at the boxcar, he began to smell a delicious smell.
    “Onions!” he shouted, running up to the kettle. “I do like the smell of onions.”
    “I like the turnips best,” said Violet.
    Jessie took off the cover carefully and stirred in the salt, and Henry sniffed the brown stew. It was boiling and boiling.
    “A ladle, of all things!” cried Henry “Where did you get it?”
    “I found a tin cup in the dump,” said Jessie. “We used a long stick for a handle and tied it to the cup with a piece of wire. It makes a fine ladle.”
    She ladled out the stew into plates and bowls and put a spoon in each one.
    “Oh, oh!” said Benny. “I am so hungry. I must eat my supper!”
    The meat was well cooked, and the vegetables were delicious. Violet passed her plate for more turnips.
    “I’d like some more onions,” said Henry.
    All the children ate until they could eat no more.
    “That was the best meal I ever ate,” said Jessie.
    “Me, too,” said Violet.
    “I have time tonight to make Benny’s cart,” remarked Henry. “We’ll want a cart.”
    “Will you make it with my wheels?” asked Benny.
    “Yes, with your wheels,” answered Henry. “But you must cart stones in it when I get it done.”
    “Yes,” said Benny. “I will cart stones or rocks or anything.”
    “Tomorrow will be Sunday, and I can stay at home,” Henry went on. “Do you think it’s all right, Jessie, to build the dam for a swimming pool on Sunday?”
    “Yes, I do,” said Jessie. “We are making the swimming pool so that we can keep clean.”
    Henry began happily to hammer out the bent nails with his new hammer. Soon he had some good nails.
    “You and I will go and find some boards, Benny,” he said. “Come on.”
    Soon the boys came back with some boards from the dump. Henry sat down and began to make the cart. He could not see very well, because it was getting dark and there was no moon. But at last the cart was done, and he gave it to Benny.
    “Thank you,” said Benny, politely.
    After his sisters had admired the cart, Benny pulled it around just for fun. Then Henry put it in the boxcar for the night.
    Henry said to Jessie, “I hope we do not hear that queer noise tonight.”
    “I hope not, too,” said Jessie. Then she laughed. “Look at Benny,” she said. “He has gone to sleep with his hand on his cart.”
    Henry laughed, too, but he laughed at himself, because