Big Worry in Wonderland

  Contents

  Chapter 1: Big Hat, Big Mouth!

  Chapter 2: Follow That Script!

  Chapter 3: Gadgets and Gizmos

  Chapter 4: Queen Brenda’s Surprise

  Chapter 5: The Dress Mess

  Chapter 6: Hypno-Tease

  Chapter 7: The Last Straw

  Chapter 8: Nancy Takes a Bow

  1

  Big Hat, Big Mouth!

  Who in the world am I?” eight-year-old Bess Marvin asked in school. “That’s the great puzzle!”

  George Fayne rolled her dark eyes. “Duh!” she said. “You’re my cousin, Bess!”

  Eight-year-old Nancy Drew smiled at her two best friends. “Bess is just saying her lines, George,” she said.

  “That’s right!” Bess said. Her blond ponytail bounced as she nodded. “The class play is almost a week away and I’m playing Alice in Wonderland!”

  “I know!” George joked. “You’ve been reminding us for the last three weeks!”

  Bess placed her hands on her hips. “Well, at least I’m not playing a worm!”

  “I’m a caterpillar!” George corrected. She stuck her chin up into the air. “And I get to blow a bubble pipe!”

  Nancy giggled. Sometimes she couldn’t believe Bess and George were cousins. They were as different as—worms and caterpillars!

  “Just think!” George said. “Today is the first day we get to practice the play on a real stage!”

  Nancy was happy to be playing the smiling Cheshire Cat, even though her cheeks were sore from so much grinning!

  “I hope I remember my lines,” Nancy said. “And to grin!”

  “If you forget to smile,” Bess said, “just remember the time the class gerbil crawled into Brenda’s backpack.”

  Nancy giggled. Brenda Carlton was the snootiest girl in their third-grade class. Some people called her Miss Snooty Pants!

  “Off with her head! Off with her head!” Brenda shouted her lines as she walked up and down the auditorium’s aisle.

  “Why is she the Queen of Hearts?” George asked. “She’s already a princess!”

  “I know something you don’t know,” Bess said in a singsong voice. “Brenda is having a party on Saturday!”

  “Why?” Nancy asked.

  “To celebrate her part in the play,” Bess said. “The part of the Queen!”

  “I hope we’re invited!” Nancy said. “Brenda has the bestest parties!”

  “Even if she is snooty!” George said.

  Bess’s blue eyes suddenly opened wide. She pointed over Nancy’s shoulder.

  “Look!” she gasped.

  Nancy spun around. Their classmate Orson Wong was wearing a big green top hat—with a red brim and a yellow polka-dotted hatband.

  “Wow!” Nancy gasped. “That hat is tremendous!”

  “What do you expect the Mad Hatter to wear?” Orson asked. “A beanie?”

  Nancy and her classmates surrounded Orson. Their teacher, Mrs. Reynolds, walked over and smiled.

  “So that’s the hat you told me about, Orson,” Mrs. Reynolds said. “It’s perfect for the Mad Hatter.”

  “My mom bought it at Sid’s Novelty Shop,” Orson said proudly. “The same place where I buy my Squishy, Squirty Heads!”

  Yuck! Nancy thought. Orson was always sneaking those little rubber toy heads into school. They were as ugly as could be. And they squirted water when he squeezed them!

  “Mrs. Reynolds is right!” Brenda said. She smiled as she gazed at Orson’s hat. “That hat is totally perfect!”

  “Too weird,” Bess whispered to Nancy. “That hat isn’t Brenda’s style!”

  Mrs. Reynolds called for attention. “Before we rehearse our play,” she said, “I have a big surprise.”

  Nancy gave a little jump. She loved surprises. What could it be?

  Mrs. Reynolds climbed a small staircase up onto the stage. She pulled a cord, and the curtain swished to the side.

  “Awesome!” George gasped.

  Nancy brushed aside her strawberry blond bangs, and stared at the stage. It was decorated with fake trees, rocks, flowers, and a table set up for a tea party!

  “It’s wonderful!” Nancy gasped.

  “No, it’s not,” Bess giggled. “It’s Wonderland!”

  Just then a man with wavy brown hair peeked out from behind a fake tree.

  Who’s that? Nancy wondered.

  “Boys and girls, this is my good friend Troy Marvello,” Mrs. Reynolds said. “He decorates the windows at Casey’s Department Store. And he’s decorating the set for Alice in Wonderland.”

  Troy smiled at the kids. But when he saw Orson his eyes popped wide open.

  “What’s the matter?” Orson asked. “Is my nose running?”

  Troy pointed at Orson’s hat and smiled. “That’s it! That’s the hat I was looking for!” he exclaimed. “For my new spring window at Casey’s!”

  “Orson!” Mrs. Reynolds smiled. “Wouldn’t it be nice to have your hat in the display window of Casey’s Department Store?”

  “Sorry!” Orson said firmly. “But this was the last hat at Sid’s.”

  “I’ll give you five pounds of jelly beans for that hat!” Troy blurted. “You do like jelly beans, don’t you?”

  “Sure,” Orson said. He stuck his chin out. “But I like my hat more!”

  “As you can see,” Mrs. Reynolds sighed, “Orson really wants his hat.”

  “Well, so do I,” Troy said. He stared at the hat as he walked away.

  Wow! Nancy thought. Troy really wanted that hat.

  “Okay, kids,” Mrs. Reynolds announced. “The first scene we’ll rehearse will be the Mad Hatter’s tea party!”

  Nancy wasn’t in the tea party scene. So she took a seat next to George and watched.

  “What do you like better, Nancy?” George whispered. “Being in a class play or solving a mystery?”

  “Hmm,” Nancy said with a smile. “I’ll have to think about that one!”

  Nancy was the best detective at Carl Sandburg Elementary School. She even had her own blue detective notebook where she wrote down all of her suspects and clues.

  Nancy turned her eyes back to the stage. Orson sat at the head of the Mad Hatter’s table. Next to him sat Kyle, who was playing the March Hare. Next to Kyle sat Molly, who was playing the Dormouse.

  “No room! No room!” the three shouted when Bess, as Alice, walked to the table.

  Alice placed her hands on her hips. “There’s plenty of room!” she argued.

  “Why is a raven like a writing desk?” the Mad Hatter quizzed Alice.

  “I’m glad they’ve begun asking riddles,” Alice said. “I believe I can guess that!”

  Yes! Nancy cheered to herself. Bess is remembering all of her lines!

  Next it was the March Hare’s turn to speak. Kyle began his lines: “Do you mean you can find out the answer to—OWWWWWW!”

  Nancy jumped in her seat. Onstage Orson had turned around so suddenly that his hat had whacked Kyle right in the nose!

  “He can’t do that to me!” Kyle said, rubbing his nose. “I’m the March Hare!”

  “It’s not March, it’s February!” Orson joked. He then pulled out a Squishy, Squirty Head. Molly ducked just as Orson squirted Kyle!

  “Here we go again!” Nancy sighed. Orson was a good actor—but a major pest!

  Mrs. Reynolds marched onto the stage. “There will be no arguing!” she scolded the boys. “And no Squishy, Squirty Heads!”

  “Sorry.” Orson sighed as he stuffed the rubber head into his pocket.

  The rest of the afternoon seemed to fly by as everyone practiced their lines.

  “I did it!” Nancy cheered after school. “I knew all my lines by heart!”

/>   “And you didn’t miss a grin!” George said as they filed out of the school.

  Suddenly Nancy felt someone tap her on the shoulder. It was Brenda standing behind her.

  “Hi, Brenda,” Nancy said.

  “Hi,” Brenda said. “I’m having a party on Saturday. You three are invited.”

  “Neat!” Nancy exclaimed.

  “Thanks, Brenda!” Bess said.

  “It’s at two o’clock sharp,” Brenda said as she pulled three invitations from her backpack. “And everyone has to wear something special—”

  “What should we wear?” George joked. “Snooty pants?”

  There was total silence.

  Brenda’s face turned tomato-red. Her eyes burned as she glared at George.

  Oh, no! Nancy thought. What was George thinking?

  “Very funny, Georgia Fayne,” Brenda snapped. “Just for that—none of you are invited!”

  2

  Follow That Script!

  It was just a joke!” George told Nancy. “And I did tell Brenda I was sorry!”

  “I guess some jokes aren’t funny,” Nancy said. “Especially when they’re about yourself.”

  “Me and my big mouth!” George said.

  Nancy was sad about the party, but glad it was a mild afternoon for February.

  Nancy, George, Bess, and many of their classmates stayed in the schoolyard to play. Nancy and George ran to the swings. Bess stood to the side, reading her script.

  As Nancy swung back and forth she could see Molly and Amara jumping rope. Orson and Andrew were playing kickball.

  But where was Orson’s hat?

  Just then Nancy spotted the hat. It was on top of Orson’s backpack. And under the biggest tree in the schoolyard.

  Nancy was about to look away when someone peeked out from behind the tree. It was Kyle Leddington. He eyed Orson’s hat with a sneaky look on his face.

  Then—WHOOSH! A huge gust of wind blew across the schoolyard.

  “Nancy! George!” Bess shouted. “The wind just blew my script away!”

  Nancy and George jumped off their swings and ran to Bess.

  “Look!” Bess cried.

  Nancy looked to see where Bess was pointing. Her Alice in Wonderland script was tumbling across the schoolyard!

  “We have to catch it!” Bess wailed. “I drew little pink hearts next to all my lines.”

  The three friends grabbed their backpacks. They chased the script throughout the busy schoolyard. The wind carried it past the seesaws and monkey bars. Then it lifted the script into the air and dumped it over a row of bushes.

  Nancy and her friends squeezed through the bushes. She found Bess’s runaway script—in the hands of Lonny and Lenny Wong!

  Lonny and Lenny were Orson’s six-year-old twin brothers. They were pests, too—and double the trouble!

  “That’s mine, thanks,” Bess said, holding out her hand.

  “Nuh-uh!” Lonny said. “We won’t give it back until you watch some of our magic tricks!”

  “Magic tricks?” Nancy repeated.

  “We want to be magicians!” Lenny explained. “Just like Orson once was.”

  “Before he became a famous actor!” Lonny said proudly.

  Nancy rolled her eyes. Orson used to practice magic. When he wasn’t practicing mischief!

  “Okay,” Nancy said. She held up her finger. “But just one trick.”

  The twins jumped up and down.

  “Watch closely,” Lonny announced. He pulled a candy gummy worm from his pocket. “Now you see it . . .”

  Lenny opened his mouth wide. Lonny popped the gummy worm right in.

  “Now you don’t!” Lonny declared.

  “That’s it?” George demanded while Lenny chewed. “That’s your trick?”

  “Yup,” Lenny said with his mouth full. “But don’t tell our mom. We’re not allowed to eat candy after school.”

  “And you shouldn’t be allowed to take other people’s things,” Nancy said. She reached out and snatched back the script.

  “Some magicians!” George snorted. “Come back when you can pull a rabbit from a hat!”

  The twins’ eyes lit up.

  “Timmy Pendergast has a pet rabbit!” Lenny declared.

  “Let’s go for it!” Lonny cheered.

  As the twins high-fived, the girls squeezed through the bushes.

  “I’m so glad my script is back!” Bess said, hugging the papers to her chest. “I drew little pink hearts—”

  “Next to all your lines!” George finished the sentence. “We know! We know!”

  Nancy looked at her watch. They had been in the schoolyard fifteen minutes. It was time to go home.

  As the girls walked out of the schoolyard they discussed the play.

  “I hope I make a good Cheshire Cat,” Nancy told her friends.

  “Don’t worry,” Bess giggled. “You’ll be purrfect!”

  • • •

  “In that direction lives a Hatter,” Nancy said as the Cheshire Cat. She put down her cookie to point. “And in that direction lives a March Hare!”

  “Don’t forget to grin!” Hannah Gruen said. Hannah was the Drew’s housekeeper, and she was helping Nancy practice her lines. Hannah had taken care of Nancy since she was three years old. That’s when Nancy’s mother had died.

  “Hannah!” Nancy groaned. “I’m running out of funny jokes to think about!”

  “This should make you smile,” Hannah said. She held up the Cheshire Cat costume she had been sewing for Nancy.

  Nancy flashed a big smile. The cat costume looked like fuzzy, orange pajamas. Hannah had also made a matching headband with pointy little cat ears.

  “All it needs is a tail,” Hannah said. “But I’m working at it.”

  “Thanks, Hannah!” Nancy said. “That costume is as neat as . . . as Orson’s hat!”

  The phone rang. Hannah’s hands were full, so Nancy ran to answer it.

  “Hello?” Nancy asked.

  “Nancy!” a boy’s voice hissed over the phone. “It’s me, Orson!”

  “Orson?” Nancy asked, surprised. She gave Hannah a curious look. Why was Orson calling her?

  “You’ve got to help me, Nancy,” Orson said in a shaky voice. “You’ve got to!”

  “Why? What’s wrong?” Nancy asked. She had never heard Orson sound so worried.

  “Someone stole my hat!” Orson wailed. “That’s what’s wrong!”

  3

  Gadgets and Gizmos

  Are you sure it’s been stolen?” Nancy asked.

  “Positive!” Orson said. “I left the hat by a tree while I played kickball. When I went back for it, it was gone!”

  Tree? Nancy suddenly remembered Kyle. And the way he sneaked around Orson’s hat.

  “Nancy, I need that hat!” Orson cried. “Without it, I can’t remember my lines. It’s practically magic!”

  Magic? Nancy thought. She tried hard not to giggle.

  “Will you help solve the case, Detective Drew?” Orson asked.

  Nancy gulped. She usually liked helping people. Unless they were pests—like Orson!

  “Can I think about it?” Nancy asked.

  “Okay,” Orson groaned. “But don’t think too long. We’ve got a situation!”

  Nancy heard a click. Orson had hung up.

  “What did Orson want?” Hannah asked.

  “The Mad Hatter has a new riddle,” Nancy sighed. “What’s red, green, and yellow polka-dotted? And missing?”

  • • •

  “Don’t forget to come to my party on Saturday, Phoebe!” Brenda announced in the auditorium the next morning. “You too, Jenny. And you, Emily. Don’t forget!”

  Nancy watched as Brenda handed out more bright pink invitations.

  “Does she have to say it so loud?” Bess whispered.

  “That’s the idea!” George whispered back. “She wants to remind us that we were uninvited! Right, Nancy?”

  “Sure,” Nancy said. But she wasn’t thinking
about Brenda’s party. She was too busy thinking about Orson’s phone call.

  “Okay, boys and girls!” Mrs. Reynolds called out. “Today we’re going to rehearse the Mad Hatter’s tea party again.”

  Orson walked up onto the stage.

  “Where’s your great, big, wonderful hat, Orson?” Mrs. Reynolds asked.

  “M-My hat?” Orson stammered. “Um . . . it gives me hat hair. I’ll wear it the day of the play.”

  Snickers filled the auditorium.

  “Since when does Orson care about his hair?” Bess asked.

  “Since his hat disappeared,” Nancy explained.

  “You mean his hat is missing?” George gasped. “No way!”

  Mrs. Reynolds’ class began rehearsing the play. Everyone knew their lines except Orson.

  “The play is next Friday, Orson,” Mrs. Reynolds said. “If you can’t remember your lines, someone else will have to play the Mad Hatter.”

  “Someone else?” Orson cried. His shoulders dropped. “Yes, Mrs. Reynolds.”

  For the first time Nancy felt sorry for Orson. So after Mrs. Reynolds called a break, Nancy told him she would help.

  “Neato-mosquito!” Orson cheered. He grabbed Nancy’s hand and pumped it. “We’ll make an awesome team!”

  “Team?” Nancy asked, grabbing her hand back. “Bess and George always help me with my cases.”

  “Always!” Bess and George said over Nancy’s shoulder.

  “Ha!” Orson laughed. “Do Bess and George just happen to have a secret spy kit? Filled with the latest crime-solving gadgets and gizmos?”

  “A what?” Nancy cried.

  Orson ran to his seat. He reached under it and pulled out a colorful canvas bag. “I couldn’t wait to use this!” he declared. “Now’s my big chance!”

  Bess and George shook their heads.

  “Sorry, Nancy,” George whispered. “But if Orson works on this case, I won’t.”

  “Me, neither!” Bess said. “He’s too much of a pest.”

  “I heard that!” Orson snapped. “And Nancy doesn’t need your help, anyway!”

  “Yes, I do!” Nancy blurted.

  “So you won’t work on this case without us, right?” George asked Nancy.

  Nancy stared at her friends. How could she tell them that she had to?