Read The Case of the Slippery Salamander for Free Online Page A

up, Dave?” Garth asked.
    The muscular lifeguard glared down at him. “Give Benny back his board.”
    “We were just goofing around,” Todd said.

    “Give it back now, or I’ll make sure this is your last day on the beach!” the lifeguard growled.
    Without another word, Garth handed over the surfboard.
    “Thanks,” Benny said to the lifeguard. He ignored the furious looks that both Todd and Garth were shooting his way. Then he and Encyclopedia raced down to the water.
    For the next hour, they had a great time riding the waves to shore. Encyclopedia didn’t think about Todd and Garth again until he and Benny headed up the beach toward their towels.
    “Your cousins seemed pretty mad at you before,” Encyclopedia said.
    “So?” Benny shrugged it off. “They’ll get over it fast—if they want to try my new board again.”
    Encyclopedia wasn’t so sure that Benny’s cousins would forget about the lifeguard’s yelling at them. But to his relief, Todd and Garth were both sound asleep on their towels.
    Benny and Encyclopedia dried off, then dropped onto their towels too. Encyclopedia checked his watch. It was only a few minutes before noon. He didn’t have to be home for another two hours.
    Encyclopedia decided to take a nap as well. As he lay down, he could feel the sun warming him. Abreeze blew off the ocean. He was just about to drift off when a sound jolted him awake.
    “ZZZZZZzzzzzz … ZZZZZZzzzzzz …”
    Encyclopedia groaned. When Benny fell asleep on his back, he snored louder than a chain saw at full throttle.
    Encyclopedia poked Benny. “Wake up, Benny. You’re snoring!”
    Benny grunted, then rolled onto his side. Glad to have some peace and quiet, Encyclopedia closed his eyes and dozed off.
    But twenty minutes later, another sound woke him.
    “Encyclopedia! My board is gone!”
    Encyclopedia’s eyes flew open.
    “I left my surfboard right there!” Benny exclaimed, pointing to the sand in front of him.
    Encyclopedia sat up, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the bright midday sunlight. “Where are Todd and Garth?” he asked, looking around.
    Todd and Garth’s towels were still on the beach, but the boys themselves were nowhere in sight.
    “I don’t know,” Benny muttered. “They disappeared.”
    Just then Todd and Garth raced up from behind the dunes.
    Benny scowled at them. “Where’s my board?” he demanded.
    “Oh, man, Benny!” Todd said. “Somebody stole it while you were sleeping!”
    “Yeah,” Garth said. “When I woke up a few minutes ago, there was a huge shadow coming from behind that tree. I pretended that I was still asleep, and I saw someone grab your board and take off.”
    “We chased him all the way to the parking lot,” Todd added. “But he jumped into his car and drove away before we could get your board back for you.”
    “That’s tough, Benny,” Garth said in a sympathetic voice. “Your board was real nice.”
    Encyclopedia checked his watch again. “Did you say you saw a huge shadow?” he asked Garth.
    Garth nodded. “That’s right. The thief was hiding behind that tree, making sure we were all asleep before he stole the board.”
    Benny sank onto his towel. He looked miserable. “I saved my allowance for six whole months so I could afford to buy that board,” he said. “Now I’m never going to get it back!”
    “Oh, yes, you will,” Encyclopedia said firmly. Then he turned to Garth and Todd. “Where did you hide Benny’s board?”
    How did Encyclopedia know that Garth and Todd were the thieves?
    (Turn to this page for the solution to The Case of the Stolen Surfboard.)

Solutions

SOLUTION TO
The Case of the Slippery Salamander
    Encyclopedia knew that Sam Maine was lying because he told Chief Brown he’d been taking care of “salamanders and
other
lizards for more than nineteen years.” Anyone who’d been taking care of salamanders for that long would know that salamanders are not lizards. They are classified as amphibians. Lizards are