marigold (part 4)

I will tell you a story now
of that same Detectives’ Club meeting
the last of the members finally arrived
and here was the sound of their greeting.

Mildred and Mattie were fighting
as sisters sometimes do
“squeak squeak squeak” they both cried loudly,
“I am mad at you!”

Reginald was a regal looking skunk
he was sitting quietly
wondering why he was summoned
his tail high in the air, waving sprightly.

Stan was a slightly surly
fairly round racoon
he could be trusted to take a nap
every afternoon.

He looked as if he might
fall asleep right now
but Marigold starting speaking
and got his attention somehow.

“Thank you all for coming
to our first official meeting.
The Detectives’ Club has our first case!
My heart is really beating!”

“I want to tell you all what I know so far.
Please everyone listen closely.
I only know very little really
just what I found mostly.”

“I was walking around this morning
and noticed something odd
there was this red pencil sitting
just all alone on a big log.”

(At this point Marigold held up the pencil.
She wasn’t touching it with her fingers,
she was using two leaves as little makeshift gloves…
you know, she didn’t want to disturb any fingerprints!)

“I looked around and saw nothing more
and I saw no real clues.
But maybe I missed something…
explore the scene of the crime, that is what we should do!”

At the mention of the words clue and crime
the mood in the Detectives’ Club Clubhouse
changed and the excitement was like just before opening birthday presents…

Mildred and Mattie were tittering and twittering and their tails were quivering!
Bernice’s eyes seemed to grow to twice their normal size!
Cody looked like he might jump right out of his skin.
I don’t think a squirrel ever looked so excited!
(Well, maybe when finding a long buried nut.)
Reginald’s tail looked taller and more bushy than ever.
His face may not have changed, but his tail told the tale.
Stan, well, he mostly still looked surly and a little tired,
but if you looked very closely, you would have seen his nose
and whiskers were twitching pretty wildly!

“I think that right now we should
head back there and see.
I will lead us all
to the place under the tree
where I found the pencil
and we can look for clues
but don’t disturb anything
whatever you do!”

And so the chase begins,
the club is is on the case.
To see them all earnest now
would put a smile on any face.

Let’s leave our friends
to make this walk alone
we will join them once again
when they enter the clue finding zone!