Page 1
A week before Christmas, Sarah, Timmy, and their parents
were busy decorating their tree. They hung gold and
silver stars on the branches, snowflakes, snowmen,
and colorful lights. Their tree looked so pretty!
Page 2
"What's this?" Sarah asked as she found another box among
the other ornament boxes. She opened it, and inside were
lots and lots of red and white candy canes.
"Let's hang them on the tree!" Timmy said. And so they did,
and their tree began to look even more festive.
Page 3
But the next day, when Sarah and Timmy woke up
and came to the living room, they noticed that there was
something missing from the tree. Was it the stars? No, they were
still there. Was it the snowflakes? No, they were still there.
Was it the Christmas lights? No, they were still there too.
Page 4
"What happened to the candy canes!?" Sarah asked.
All the candy canes were gone from the tree! What could have happened to them!?
Page 5
"Did you take them?" Sarah asked Timmy.
"No!" Timmy said. "I was asleep! Did you take them?"
he asked Sarah.
"No! I was asleep too!"
"We have to solve this mystery!" they decided.
Page 6
They walked around their house looking for the thief.
"Did you take all the candy canes?" they asked their mom.
"No," their mom said. "I was busy building a gingerbread house in the other room!" and she showed them the elaborate gingerbread house.
Page 7
"Did you take all the candy canes?" they asked their dad.
"No," he said, "I was busy putting Christmas lights on the front
of our house," and he took them outside to show them his work.
Page 8
"Did you take all the candy canes?" they asked their dog, Lucky.
"No," Lucky barked. "I was too busy in the kitchen smelling all the Christmas food cooking," and he led them to the kitchen where they smelled the delicious smells for themselves.
Page 9
"Did you take all the candy canes?" they
asked their cat, Misty.
"No," Misty meowed. "I was too
busy sleeping," and she went back to
sleep on the couch.
Page 10
"But who could it be!?" Sarah and Timmy asked each other.
"There's no one left in the house,
but someone must have taken the candy canes!"
Suddenly they heard a scratching noise coming from the wall,
and they saw a small hole in the wall. They knelt down on the
floor and looked inside the hole, and what do you think they saw?
Page 11
There was a mouse in there!
"Did you take all the candy canes?" they asked the mouse,
but the mouse didn't say anything. "Did you?" they asked again.
"Yes," the mouse squeaked softly.
"Why did you take all the candy canes!?" they asked the mouse,
and the mouse moved so they could see inside the hole.
Page 12
They saw a Christmas tree, and a house,
and stars hanging from their ceiling, all made out
of candy canes. And they saw a whole mouse family there too.
"We didn't have any other decorations for Christmas!" the mouse
said. "But I'm sorry we stole yours, please take them back."
Then Sarah and Timmy saw how the mouse family looked,
and they said, "No, please keep them! Now everyone can have
a Merry Christmas!" And they did, and the mice did too.
