Trading Mystery
Elementary: Grades 3–4
Story
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A few minutes later as planned, Joseph and Lily met on the corner down the street. They didn't know what to do. How could they tell their parents that Uncle Boots was dangerous?
"I think we should tell Mother right away," Lily said, her voice quivering. "But she seems to like Uncle Boots," Joseph said, pausing to wait for an "L" train to rumble noisily past above their heads. He felt so distracted by the situation that the train, for once, was the last thing on his mind. "Maybe we should tell Grandpa instead. He'll know what to do," Joseph suggested. Lily thought for a minute and then agreed.
Joseph and Lily ran back home and snuck in past Uncle Boots, who was snoring in a chair in the parlor, his book and pen on his lap. They found Grandpa in the kitchen. "You two look like you're up to something," Grandpa said, smiling.
Lily started to explain: "Well, we've been figuring things out, and we thought..." Joseph couldn't hold it in anymore. "Uncle Boots is up to no good!" he exclaimed.
Grandpa was surprised. "Why do you say that?" he asked.
"Well," Lily jumped in, "he is doing all kinds of strange things, he's not nice, and he has weapons in the safe!"
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"Weapons!" Grandpa exclaimed.
"Yes, a gun and an ax, and we think he's dangerous," Joseph whispered.
Grandpa chuckled. "Uncle Boots is many things, but dangerous isn't one of them," he said.
"But he's got a gun in the safe!" Lily exclaimed.
"Those things are from when Uncle Boots was young," Grandpa answered. "His father was a fur trader, and that gun is from the wild early days before Chicago was a city."
"What about the ax?" Lily asked, not sure whether to believe her grandfather.
"It's probably a tomahawk, one that the traders gave to American Indians. All the things in there, even the safe, are from the fur trading years. Uncle Boots has a long history here, and he is trying to write the story of his life. That's why he's always writing. He's an odd man, but harmless. We can learn a lot from him," Grandpa said.
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