“It’s gone, it’s gone!”
“My gumdrop is gone!”
“Albert, what is it? What is gone?”
“My gumdrop!”
“I haven’t seen it since dawn.”
“But Albert,” exclaimed Charlie. “You have more candy than I could even list.”
“Surely one gumdrop will hardly be missed.”
“You don’t understand Charlie; this is a Berry Blue Honeydew gumdrop that was made especially for me.”
“It was made by the most famous candy maker of all, Toffee McGee.”
“Well, in that case, Albert, there is only one thing left for us to do,
“We must round up the entire Rittenhouse crew!”
And within a flash, Fallon and Fritz arrived to help out in the newest Rittenhouse mystery,
Never missing a chance to make their mark on history.
A few seconds later, Beatrice arrived to help join the search.
For she had a distinct advantage of being able to see the park from atop of her perch.
Charlie figured he could help out with those hard to reach places.
After all, he is a mouse and especially good at fitting in teeny tiny spaces.
“Wait, where is Simon? Asked Beatrice.
“Perhaps he will make it at a later time.”
“Remember he is a sloth and has to do that long, long climb,” explained Fritz.
Deciding to not waste any more time,
Fallon and Fritz went right to the scene of the crime.
They started to pull branches and twigs from the bottom of Albert’s fountain.
Sorting and piling them into a man-made mountain.
“Fallon, this is just a pile of twigs some tall some short.”
“We are trying to find Alberts gumdrop, not build a fort.”
“But Beatrice, we must search every square inch of the park,
Even if that means every last piece of tree bark,” explained Fallon.
“You never know what might be evidence,
Until you truly know its relevance,” explained Fritz.
“They are right Beatrice; we must not let Albert down.”
“A clue could be anywhere, and it must be found,” said Charlie.
As Fallon and Fritz searched the fountain, Beatrice took to the skies to explore low and high.
But the missing gumdrop gave her an idea, and all she could think of was baking a Honeydew pie.
Down on the ground, Fritz found something abound.
“Charlie, come quick, look what I found.”
“It must be a clue, go and add it to the mound.”
Charlie went to the fountain and scooped up the squishy substance from its side.
It smelled sweet and sugary, and its color looked dyed.
“It must be a foreign substance from another planet,” shouted Fallon.
“ Aww don’t worry guys, said Albert.” “It’s just a mushed prickly pear, made of peach and pomegranate.”
Back to square one, Charlie knew there was still much to be done.
“Albert, perhaps you just misplaced it, or maybe it melted in the sun?”
“Or maybe an army of ants carried it away!”
“I once saw those pesky critters once carry a whole souffle,” shouted Fallon.
While Fallon and Fritz were debating theories below,
Beatrice made one last loop around the park real slow.
Upset she was not able to find the gumdrop, she was determined to find a clue.
As she suddenly noticed something that caught her eye, glistening blue.
“Quick everyone, to the evidence pile,” shouted Beatrice,
Hardly being able to hold back her huge grinning smile.
What Beatrice had found was a dollop of blue paint on a teeny tiny leaf.
“We must look for the blue man, exclaimed Albert, he is our thief!”
“I hardly believe our thief is blue, said Charlie, but I do believe I might know where the gumdrop might be.”
“Will everyone please follow me to the old oak tree?”
“Simon, are you up there?” whispered Charlie.
And after a few slow seconds, Simon climbed down from his treetop lair,
Covered In blue paint, all stuck to his hair.
“Well hello everyone, how are you on this fine day?”
“Perfect weather for painting, I must say,” said Simon.
“Simon, you don’t have Alberts gumdrop by chance, do you?”
“Well, of course I do, oh surely Albert knew.”
“My gumdrop, Simon, you stole it.”
“Oh, of course I didn’t steal it Albert, but it does look like that, I must admit.”
“I was merely borrowing it for my newest creation.”
“I’m sorry that it caused such a sticky situation.”
And out from the branches, Simon pulled a painting that was subtle and simplistic,
Of a Berry Blue Honeydew gumdrop looking ever so realistic.
“But why would you paint something like that?” asked Fallon.
“Its just blue and round and as boring as a doormat.”
“Well, to you Fallon, it is just a gumdrop, boring and unrefined.”
“But to Albert, it is priceless, a one of a kind,” explained Simon.
“That’s right Simon, explained Charlie. “ “We all find beauty in different objects and different ways.
“But what makes something special is what it means to you, no matter what anyone says.”
“And besides, now we have a painting to hang in the cafe shop,
To always remember the day, Albert found his Berry Blue Honeydew gumdrop.”
The Rittenhouse Mouse 