The Bear Detectives

Help! My pumpkin won first prize at the fair. Now I can't find it anywhere! Do not worry, Farmer Ben. The Bear Detectives will find it again! Your prize pumpkin stolen? Never fear. Great Bear Detective Pop is here! I will find it. You will see . Just watch my old dog Snuff and me. But, Papa, our Bear Detective Book will tell us how to catch the crook. "Lesson One. First look around for any tracks that are on the ground." Don't waste your time with books and stuff! We are on the trail! Just follow Snuff! We'll catch that crook. We'll show you how. Snuff and I will catch the... ...cow? Say! Look down here! Do you see what I see? There's a wheelbarrow track going by this tree! A good detective writes things down: "Checked out a cow, white and brown." The track ends here. What shall we do? We'll look in the book. It says, "Lesson Two. Look around for another clue." Humf! You can look around as much as you please. I'm going to follow these carrots and peas... ...and eggshells and corncobs and other stuff. This must be the way! Let's go, Snuff! Listen, Snuff! Hear that munching? That pumpkin thief is pumpkin lunching! O.K., thief! You've munched your last. Your pumpkin-stealing days are past. Look here! Look here, Papa Bear. We found a new clue over there. You see we found a pumpkin leaf... Aha! You've found a pumpkin leaf. Just show me where you found this leaf. Then I will find that pumpkin thief. The pumpkin thief! I've found him, Snuff! Let's grab him quick. He sure looks tough. Be careful, Pop. Lesson Three in the book says," Before you leap, be sure to look." Hang on, Snuff! Hold him tight! This pumpkin thief can really fight. Did you find any clues in that scarecrow, Pop? Shall we keep on looking, Or shall we stop? Hmmmmmmmmm... Checked out a cow, three pigs in a pen, and a scarecrow owned by Farmer Ben. Found some tracks and a pumpkin leaf. Still haven't found that pumpkin thief. Look! By that haystack! I see something blue! It's the first-prize ribbon. That's a very good clue. A haystack! The perfect place to hide. I'll bet the thief is right inside. Pumpkin thief, Don't try to run. Your pumpkin-stealing days are done! But, Papa... I was going to say, I don't think the thief is in that hay. Hmmmmmmmm... Ben's haystack is another spot Where the pumpkin thief is not. Say! Look over there! Look in that door! Pumpkin seeds all over floor! He's in the barn! This is it! Hand me that detective kit. I'll snap on these handcuffs. I'll take him to jail. Pumpkin thief, It's the end of the trail. Old Snuff, this may be tough. It looks like we've caught a whole gang of crooks. Hmmmmmmm... Checked out a cow, brown and white. Checked out a scarecrow after a fight. Checked out a haystack. Three pigs in a pen... Put the cuffs on Farmer Ben's hen. Found some tracks, a ribbon, a leaf... some pumpkin seeds, But still no thief! Small Bear, I guess you better look at what it says there in your book. Lesson Four- Here's how it goes- "A good detective will use his nose." Hmmmmmmm... Pumpkin seeds, Pumpkin shell- and. . . aha! I smell a pumpkin smell! COME AND GET YOUR PUMPKIN PIE! The pumpkin was pied by Mrs. Ben. The case is solved. Good work, men! The Bear Detectives have done it again! MMMMMMMM! My dear, you and I will share first prize. Me for the pumpkin, You for the pies!