Louie & Lily and the Case of Time to Rhyme

It was Monday morning, and there was a hustle and bustle in the Williams' house. While the Williams' kids rushed around getting ready for school, Louie the turtle swam happily around in his tank. 8-year-old Charisse soon arrived to feed him his breakfast of floating fish pellets. Lily, the bulldog, wagged her tail, following Charisse into the bathroom. Lily knew that it would be time for her morning walk and talk as soon as Charisse finished brushing her teeth. That's when they stopped to talk to their neighbors. Charisse looked at her watch while they were out for their morning walk and talk, and she and Lily rushed back into the house. Charisse was going to be late for school, and she didn't know this, but her pets had a big day ahead of them too! After Charisse left, Lily went over to Louie's tank. "Okay, Lou, it's time to get to work," Lily said as she lifted her head to the top of Louie's tank and helped him crawl out. “I'm ready to solve our next mystery, Lily," Louie replied. They discussed their last mystery, the Case of the Missing Carrots, as they walked over to the garage, which in their minds, was Louie and Lily's Detective Duo Office. Louie and Lily had started their detective agency two years ago, when Lily was adopted from the pet shelter by the Williams. She had become Louie’s instant best friend. They loved working together to solve puzzles and help others. There was already a client waiting for them when they arrived at their office. Rocky, the raccoon, was sleepily rubbing his eyes to stay awake. "Rocky, what are you still doing up? How can we help you?" asked Lily. She is always eager to lend a hand. Raccoons are nocturnal animals and mostly sleep during the day. Rocky the raccoon usually wakes up when the sun goes down to begin his nightly routine of looking for food. "Lily, Louie, I couldn't go home without getting your help. I received some notes, and I don't know what they mean. Can you help me figure out what they are and who has been sending them to me?" Rocky asked. "Of course, Rocky. May we see the notes?" Louie asked politely. As Lily and Louie read the messages, they realized they all had something in common. They all rhymed! "Don't worry, Rocky! Lily, and I are on the case." "I knew the Detective Duo would help! I'll come back tonight to see what you have discovered," Rocky said as he yawned and shuffled away. "Okay, Lily let’s get organized,'' said Louie,''these notes are our first clues to the case. Do you want to read the notes out loud?" "Note number one says: Go under the oldest tree, and you will set something free." "Note number two says: Visit the black cat and look under the mat.""Note number three says: Go to the sand, and you may see a band. "Hmm,” Louie said as he thought. “I spy with my little eye that the words were written in pencil." "Hmm,” Lily said as she thought. “I spy with my little eye that the notes were written on wrinkled paper, and some parts are covered in dirt.” "I suspect the animal that wrote these notes used paper and pencils they found lying on the ground," Louie explained. Lily agreed. "We’re looking for an animal that would be smart enough to use tools like pencils. That narrows things down!" "I think I have an idea, but we should also find out why our suspect is writing and leaving these notes for Rocky," Louie replied. "Let's go investigate and solve these rhymes. I already have a name for our new case: The Case of Time to Rhyme!" Lily said excitedly. So Louie and Lily started their walk around the neighborhood, looking for the oldest tree so they could go under it to set something free. They knew there was an old white oak tree where their friend Mortimer the squirrel ate his acorns with glee, so they headed there. When they arrived, they walked right under the branches of the white oak tree. They looked up and down and around the tree, looking for clues. "Do you see something we can set free from this tree?" asked Louie. Lily looked up again. She heard something and then she saw something! "I hear a jingling sound of keys, and I spy with my little eye keys hanging from the branches of this white oak tree.” "Mortimer, are you there? Can you please grab those keys for us?" Louie called. Mortimer the squirrel came running down the side of the tree with the keys he had set free from the branches."Here you go," said Mortimer as he helped loop the keys on a string around Lily's neck. "Thank you! Walk with us, Mortimer. We are getting closer to solving a mystery for Rocky the raccoon," explained Lily excitedly. "Now, onto the second note. Visit the black cat and look under the mat. Each morning this week, I have seen a black cat looking out the window of the yellow house down the street. Let's have a visit, shall we?" asked Louie. "Let's!” said Lily and Mortimer together. When they arrived at the yellow house, the black cat saw them, ran over, and stuck its head out of the cat door flap in the front door. "Hello," called the black cat from her mat. “My name is Alma. Won't you come in?" The detectives and their friend Mortimer squeezed through the cat door flap and entered the yellow house. And there they saw Alma the black cat sitting on a mat! "Hello Alma, I am detective Louie, and this is my partner Lily and our friend Mortimer. And we are trying to solve a mystery for our friend Rocky the raccoon. He received a note saying to visit the black cat on a mat. Is there anything special about your mat?" "Why yes, today my mat is feeling lumpy," Alma explained. "That's interesting," said Lily. "Alma, would you mind if we moved your mat?" Alma nodded. The animals worked together to each hold a corner of the mat. "1, 2, 3 lift!" They looked underneath. There was a hat under the mat! "Whose hat is this under my mat?" asked Alma. "It's not mine." "I believe whoever put that hat under your mat is the same animal who left these notes for Rocky the raccoon and wanted him to find these keys and this hat. But why? That is the mystery we must solve," said Lily."Now for the last note. Go to the sand, and you may see a band." Louie read aloud. "Where would we find sand? There's no beach nearby," said Mortimer. Detectives Louie and Lily, Mortimer, and Alma all went outside and looked around. Suddenly Louie and Lily looked at each other and said, "I spy a sandbox in the playground!” The day was almost over, and Rocky, the raccoon was now awake and waiting outside Louie and Lily's detective office in the garage. He saw the group of friends headed to the park and went to join them. Detectives Louie and Lily gave Rocky an update as they walked over to the sandbox in the playground. "My note number three said to go to the sand, and you may see a band. So we are on the sand, but where's the band? And who has been sending me these notes?" asked Rocky. Louie and Lily gathered everyone together in a circle to explain the case. "We know Rocky was sent three notes written in pencil on wrinkled paper," explained Lily. "Who do we know who can use a pencil and is good at finding things to use as tools? I know who, do you?" asked Louie. Rocky thought for a second and said, "Wait… my good friend Cody the Crow!" "Yes, the crows can use sticks as tools and bend twigs into hooks to reach food. No wonder Cody could use the pencil to write you the notes," explained Lily as she eagerly tapped her paws on the ground. As the sun went down behind the playground, the animals began to hear the sound of crickets chirping and making music, rubbing their wings together in rhythm just like a band. The group of friends looked up from the sandbox and saw Cody the Crow flying in the sky, calling out to Rocky, "Surprise!"Cody and Rocky have been unlikely friends since Cody was a young fledgling and Rocky was a baby kit. "Cody! It was you who sent me those notes?" "Yes, the keys set free from the tree are for you to jangle to make music with the crickets. The hat under the mat is for you to wear to look fancy during the show. I am happy we all get to share the sand and listen to the cricket band," Cody said.“We never get to see each other for long because when you wake up to start your night, I am getting ready to sleep in the trees with my flock of crows," continued Cody. "But we will always be friends!" Rocky and Cody said together. Detectives Louie and Lily smiled at each other. They thanked the cricket band for their lovely music. They waved goodbye to Mortimer the squirrel, their new buddy Alma the cat, Rocky the Racoon, and Cody the clever crow. And then they headed home before their owner Charisse came home from soccer practice. As they arrived back at Louie and Lily's Detective Duo office, Lily said, "The case of Time to Rhyme has been solved." "Yes, and when the next mystery comes along, we'll be ready!" said Louie. “For now, I’m about ready for my evening swim and a nice fish pellet dinner.”