Sydney’s Mystery Box
By Heather Leigh
Illustrated by Judy Ziegler
“The Grinding Stones are down here!” called Kelsey.
Whoosh! Janet’s dog, Sydney, ran right past Kelsey and knocked her over.
“Are you alright?” asked Janet as she helped her friend stand up. “My dog gets a little excited.”
Kelsey watched as Sydney jumped into the creek and started barking.
“Your dog gets more than a little excited,” said Kelsey.
Janet went to read a sign. “This says that the Kumeyaay Indians used the Grinding Stones to make acorns into flour.”
Kelsey looked at the holes in the wide flat boulders beside the creek. She could imagine the Indians pounding acorns with rocks to make their food.
“Let’s pretend we’re Kumeyaay Indians making acorn flour,” said Kelsey. “I’ll look for acorns.”
“Then I’ll find rocks to grind with,” said Janet.
Kelsey started looking for acorns, but Sydney came over with a stick for her to throw.
“I’ll throw it one time, Sydney,” said Kelsey.
She threw the stick but Sydney brought it right back. So Kelsey threw the stick again. And again, and again.
Kelsey threw the stick into the water, hoping Sydney would start playing in the creek and leave her alone. But the dog came back dripping wet and shook himself all over Kelsey!
“Janet, your dog got me wet!” cried Kelsey.
“Come here, Sydney,” called Janet.
The dog went to Janet, and Kelsey found some acorns.
“I’ve got the perfect rocks for us,” said Janet.
Kelsey chose the rock she wanted to use. The girls went to get the pile of acorns, but Sydney had found them.
“Sydney—quit chewing those acorns!” yelled Janet.
“They’re all slobbered on,” said Kelsey.
“GO AWAY! You’re ruining our fun,” cried Janet.
Sydney slunk away to the other side of the acorn tree. The girls couldn’t find any more acorns because there weren’t many in the winter.
“I still want to grind something,” said Kelsey.
“How about these dirt rocks?” said Janet, kicking at the ground.
“That would work,” said Kelsey.
They spent the next few minutes hunched over the boulder holes, breaking up dirt rocks and turning them into dust.
“Arff!! Arff!!”
“What now, you silly dog?” called Kelsey.
“She’s digging like crazy,” said Janet. “I think she found something.”
“What is it?” asked Kelsey.
They went to look at Sydney’s hole. When Sydney saw that the girls had come to see what he had found, he started running in circles.
The girls bent down and pushed away the dirt. Janet reached in and pulled out a big Ziploc bag.
“There’s a box inside!” said Janet.
They opened the metal box and discovered a small notebook.
“Please write a message for the next people who find this notebook,” read Kelsey.
“No one has written anything in it,” said Janet. “We can be the first one’s!”
The girls searched their backpacks but found only water and snacks.
“No pen to write the first message,” said Janet. “Bummer.”
“Hey, we can use the dirt we made from the grinding stones!” said Kelsey. “If we add some water, we’ll have ‘ink’.
“And we can use a stick for writing,” said Janet. “A stick pen and mud ink!”
The girls got everything ready to write their messages.
Janet wrote: Happy Grinding! From Janet
Kelsey wrote: Be careful of dog slobber on your acorns! From Kelsey
Sydney put her pawprint.
The girls put Sydney’s Mystery Box back into the Ziploc bag and buried it.
“Wonder who’ll find it next?” Kelsey asked as she pet Sydney behind the ears.
“Who ever it is will probably have a dog to dig it up for them!” said Janet.
“You’re a good, crazy dog, Sydney,” said Kelsey.
“Time to go, Sydney,” said Janet.
“Arff!! Arff!!” barked Sydney, and whooshed past the girls on her way home.
