Leo dribbled the soccer ball down the sidewalk, his dog, Buster, trotting excitedly beside him. He was on his way to meet Maya and Carlos at their usual spot: the big oak tree at the corner of Elm Street and Maple Avenue. It was the place to be for an afternoon soccer game.
When Leo arrived, Maya and Carlos were already there, kicking a crumpled paper ball back and forth.
โSorry Iโm late!โ Leo said, grinning. โBuster got distracted by a particularly interesting fire hydrant.โ
โNo problem!โ Maya chirped. โLetโs play!โ
Leo placed his bright red soccer ball down near the base of the oak tree and turned to stretch. โAlright, let’s split into teams. Maya and I against Carlos.
But when he turned back to grab the ball… it was gone!
Leo blinked. โWait, whereโs the ball?โ
Maya and Carlos looked around, confused. โIt was right there!โ Carlos exclaimed, pointing to the spot where Leo had just set it down.
They searched around the base of the tree, peering behind the thick roots and under the low-hanging branches. Nothing.
โThis is so weird,โ said Maya, scratching her head. โItโs like it just vanished into thin air.โ
Leo frowned. His favorite soccer ball, gone? This was a mystery!
โOkay, everyone,โ he announced, puffing out his chest. โWeโre going to find that soccer ball. Weโre detectives now!โ
Carlos, always eager for adventure, cheered. “Detective Carlos is on the case! What’s our first clue?”
Leo thought for a moment. โWell, the ball couldnโt have just walked away. Someone must have taken it. Letโs check for footprints!โ
They examined the area around the oak tree. They found lots of footprints, but most of them were their own. Then, Maya pointed to a set of small, muddy tracks leading away from the tree towards Mrs. Gableโs garden next door.
โLook!โ she said. โSmall footprintsโฆmaybe a kid? And they’re heading toward Mrs. Gable’s prize-winning roses!”
Mrs. Gable was known in the neighborhood for her beautiful, but also very prickly, roses. She was also known for being, well, a little grumpy.
They cautiously approached Mrs. Gable’s fence. Peeking through the slats, they saw a young boy, maybe five or six years old, kicking a bright red soccer ballโฆright in the middle of Mrs. Gable’s rose garden!
“That’s my soccer ball!” Leo whispered.
“We have to get it back!” Carlos replied, equally quietly.
But how? They knew Mrs. Gable wouldn’t be too happy if they just barged into her garden.
Maya had an idea. โMaybe we can ask Mrs. Gable if we can retrieve it?” she suggested. “Being polite never hurts!”
Taking a deep breath, Leo knocked on Mrs. Gableโs gate. The gate creaked open, and Mrs. Gable peered out with a stern expression.
“Yes?” she asked, her voice a little raspy.
Leo, trying his best to be polite, explained the situation. โWe thinkโฆyourโฆumโฆa little boy might have accidentally taken our soccer ball into your garden, Mrs. Gable. Weโd really like to get it back.โ
Mrs. Gableโs expression softened slightly. โOh dear,โ she said. โThat must be little Timmy, my grandson. He’s visiting for the week and can be a bitโฆenthusiastic.โ
She sighed. โCome in, come in. But try not to step on any of my prize-winning roses!โ
They carefully followed Mrs. Gable into the garden. Little Timmy, seeing them, stopped kicking the ball and hid behind a rose bush.
“Timmy, come out here,” said Mrs. Gable gently. “These children say that is their soccer ball, is this true? “
Timmy peeked out from behind the roses, his eyes wide. He nodded shyly.
“I didn’t mean to take it,” he mumbled. “It just rolled in here. I was playing and it happened so fast.”
Leo smiled. He understood. “That’s okay,” he said. “Accidents happen! Can we have the ball back?”
Timmy handed the ball to Leo, his face red.
“You can play with us if you want,” offered Carlos.
Timmy’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
And so, Leo, Maya, Carlos, and even little Timmy, all played soccer together in the park. Mrs. Gable even brought out a pitcher of lemonade for everyone.
Leo learned two things that day: even grumpy neighbors can be nice, and sometimes, the best way to solve a mystery is just by being kind and talking to people. Also, to always make sure your soccer ball is safely put away!
