Eustace's truck drove up in front of the house just as the man who
delivered the newspaper was leaving. Eustace grumbled something about the
paper being late once again as he picked the paper up off of the porch and
went into the house. Courage jumped out of his truck and headed toward the
front door followed by Muriel.
Eustace went straight for his favorite chair and opened up the newspaper while Muriel went into the kitchen with a sack of groceries. Courage followed her.
"We're gonna have a really yummy dinner tonight, Courage! I found my favorite recipe for roast chicken in a vinegar wine sauce!" Muriel began to take various items from the sack of groceries and place them on the counter. Courage curled up on the kitchen rug, forgetting all about the strange coin as he anxiously watched Muriel prepare dinner. The walk in the park had made him very hungry.
A few minutes later, Eustace stepped into the kitchen. "Muriel, you gotta hear this!" He sat down in one of the chairs by the table and began to read aloud from the paper. "The door of the antique shop was left wide open but there were no signs of forced entry. The door was not broken nor did it appear to have been pried open. All the windows were protected by iron bars. At this time, Police say they are without any clues as to who could have gotten into the building. The only items that were stolen were several pieces of antique gold jewelry, two solid gold platters and two very rare gold coins. "
Courage gulped as he was reminded of the coin that he had found
Muriel walked over to the table with an armload of plates, napkins and silverware. "Sounds like whoever got into that antique shop must have had a key."
Eustace watched as Muriel set the table. "According to the newspaper, the only person to have a key to the building is the owner - and he's been in the hospitalized for the last two days after having a heart attack."
Muriel looked over at Eustace. "Maybe somebody stole the key from him."
Eustace shook his head. "The key was on the keychain that the man keeps with him. That keychain is in the drawer next to his hospital bed."
Muriel shrugged and turned back to the stove. "That is a mystery." She said as she returned with a large dish and began to fill the plates with delicious looking pieces of chicken. "I hope the two of ye like the roast chicken. It's my own recipe." She spooned vegetables onto the plates followed by a strong smelling vinegar sauce.
Courage quickly forgot about the coin as he cleaned his plate.
A few minutes later, he and Muriel joined Eustace in the livingroom to watch TV. The news was on and they were talking about the break in. Eustace just growled and started to say something when he was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"I wonder who that could be?" Muriel got up from her chair and answered the door.
An old woman in a brown hooded cape was standing on the porch. She was holding a basket in her hands. "I'm selling delicious home-made baked apples. Would you care to buy any?"
Muriel looked at the apples. "Hmmm... they do look delicious and I didn't have the time to make any dessert tonight."
There was something vaguely familiar about this old woman and, for some reason, Courage didn't trust her. He quickly ran over to Muriel and tugged on her dress. Hopping from one foot to the other, he tried desperately to tell Muriel not to trust this woman. But, as usual, Muriel misunderstood what Courage was trying to tell her.
Muriel looked down at Courage. "They do look delicious don't they?" She turned back to the woman as Courage pulled his ears in frustration. "I'll buy three of them."
Courage whined as Muriel took three small bags from the woman's basket and paid her for the apples. He followed Muriel into the kitchen trying desperately to convince her not to eat the apples but Muriel took out three bowls and put the apples in them along with extra cinnimon and sugar. He followed Muriel back into the livingroom and as she put one of the bowls on the table next to Eustace. Muriel put one of the bowls down in front of Courage then sat down in her chair and began to eat from the third bowl. Courage just sniffed at the bowl in front of him then looked back up to see Eusace eating from the bowl that Muriel had placed on the table beside him. Courage just sighed and sniffed at his bowl again. Something about this apple didn't smell right.
"What's the matter Courage? Don't ye like baked apples?" Muriel took another bite of her baked apple. "These apples are delicious."
"I'll eat that apple if that stupid dog don't want it!" Eustace had already finished his apple and was staring at Courage's bowl.
No matter how much Courage disliked Eustace, he couldn't bring himself to let Eustace take the baked apple from him. Muriel liked Eustace and Courage would be letting Muriel down if he let Eustace eat something that he didn't trust enough to eat himself. Courage sighed and began to sort of nibble at the apple, knowing that Eustace wouldn't want to eat something that he had taken a bite off of.
"Stupid greedy dog!" Eustace growled.
Muriel finished her apple and got up from her chair to take the bowls back into the kitchen to be washed. Courage followed her into the kitchen and quickely dumped his baked apple into the garbage can before Muriel noticed what he had done. He went over to the where Muriel was standing at the sink and offered the bowl to Muriel to be washed.
Muriel smiled as she took the empty bowl from him. "I see ye ate your baked apple after all."
Muriel finished washing the bowls and yawned as she went back into the livingroom. "I think I'll take a wee nap before that movie I want to watch comes on."
Courage followed her back into the livingroom. Eustace was asleep in his chair and snoring very loudly. Muriel sat down in her chair and, within seconds, she too was snoring loudly. Courage looked at Eustace then at Muriel. Something didn't seem right. He jumped up in Muriel's lap. Normally this would have woken Muriel up but she remained sound asleep. Courage tugged on Muriel's hand but it had no effect on her. Finally, he began to lick Muriel's face to try to wake her up. Again there was no response. Muriel was out cold. Courage jumped off of her lap and ran over to Eustace. He tugged on Eustace's hand and even bit him on the leg but Eustace just kept snoring.
Courage began to panic. He hopped from one foot to the other saying, "What do I do, what do I do?" Finally, he calmed down a little bit and began to think. He had to get some help. He fumbled around in his pocket and pulled out a small piece of metal with some words inscribed on it. He read the words aloud and waited.
Eustace went straight for his favorite chair and opened up the newspaper while Muriel went into the kitchen with a sack of groceries. Courage followed her.
"We're gonna have a really yummy dinner tonight, Courage! I found my favorite recipe for roast chicken in a vinegar wine sauce!" Muriel began to take various items from the sack of groceries and place them on the counter. Courage curled up on the kitchen rug, forgetting all about the strange coin as he anxiously watched Muriel prepare dinner. The walk in the park had made him very hungry.
A few minutes later, Eustace stepped into the kitchen. "Muriel, you gotta hear this!" He sat down in one of the chairs by the table and began to read aloud from the paper. "The door of the antique shop was left wide open but there were no signs of forced entry. The door was not broken nor did it appear to have been pried open. All the windows were protected by iron bars. At this time, Police say they are without any clues as to who could have gotten into the building. The only items that were stolen were several pieces of antique gold jewelry, two solid gold platters and two very rare gold coins. "
Courage gulped as he was reminded of the coin that he had found
Muriel walked over to the table with an armload of plates, napkins and silverware. "Sounds like whoever got into that antique shop must have had a key."
Eustace watched as Muriel set the table. "According to the newspaper, the only person to have a key to the building is the owner - and he's been in the hospitalized for the last two days after having a heart attack."
Muriel looked over at Eustace. "Maybe somebody stole the key from him."
Eustace shook his head. "The key was on the keychain that the man keeps with him. That keychain is in the drawer next to his hospital bed."
Muriel shrugged and turned back to the stove. "That is a mystery." She said as she returned with a large dish and began to fill the plates with delicious looking pieces of chicken. "I hope the two of ye like the roast chicken. It's my own recipe." She spooned vegetables onto the plates followed by a strong smelling vinegar sauce.
Courage quickly forgot about the coin as he cleaned his plate.
A few minutes later, he and Muriel joined Eustace in the livingroom to watch TV. The news was on and they were talking about the break in. Eustace just growled and started to say something when he was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"I wonder who that could be?" Muriel got up from her chair and answered the door.
An old woman in a brown hooded cape was standing on the porch. She was holding a basket in her hands. "I'm selling delicious home-made baked apples. Would you care to buy any?"
Muriel looked at the apples. "Hmmm... they do look delicious and I didn't have the time to make any dessert tonight."
There was something vaguely familiar about this old woman and, for some reason, Courage didn't trust her. He quickly ran over to Muriel and tugged on her dress. Hopping from one foot to the other, he tried desperately to tell Muriel not to trust this woman. But, as usual, Muriel misunderstood what Courage was trying to tell her.
Muriel looked down at Courage. "They do look delicious don't they?" She turned back to the woman as Courage pulled his ears in frustration. "I'll buy three of them."
Courage whined as Muriel took three small bags from the woman's basket and paid her for the apples. He followed Muriel into the kitchen trying desperately to convince her not to eat the apples but Muriel took out three bowls and put the apples in them along with extra cinnimon and sugar. He followed Muriel back into the livingroom and as she put one of the bowls on the table next to Eustace. Muriel put one of the bowls down in front of Courage then sat down in her chair and began to eat from the third bowl. Courage just sniffed at the bowl in front of him then looked back up to see Eusace eating from the bowl that Muriel had placed on the table beside him. Courage just sighed and sniffed at his bowl again. Something about this apple didn't smell right.
"What's the matter Courage? Don't ye like baked apples?" Muriel took another bite of her baked apple. "These apples are delicious."
"I'll eat that apple if that stupid dog don't want it!" Eustace had already finished his apple and was staring at Courage's bowl.
No matter how much Courage disliked Eustace, he couldn't bring himself to let Eustace take the baked apple from him. Muriel liked Eustace and Courage would be letting Muriel down if he let Eustace eat something that he didn't trust enough to eat himself. Courage sighed and began to sort of nibble at the apple, knowing that Eustace wouldn't want to eat something that he had taken a bite off of.
"Stupid greedy dog!" Eustace growled.
Muriel finished her apple and got up from her chair to take the bowls back into the kitchen to be washed. Courage followed her into the kitchen and quickely dumped his baked apple into the garbage can before Muriel noticed what he had done. He went over to the where Muriel was standing at the sink and offered the bowl to Muriel to be washed.
Muriel smiled as she took the empty bowl from him. "I see ye ate your baked apple after all."
Muriel finished washing the bowls and yawned as she went back into the livingroom. "I think I'll take a wee nap before that movie I want to watch comes on."
Courage followed her back into the livingroom. Eustace was asleep in his chair and snoring very loudly. Muriel sat down in her chair and, within seconds, she too was snoring loudly. Courage looked at Eustace then at Muriel. Something didn't seem right. He jumped up in Muriel's lap. Normally this would have woken Muriel up but she remained sound asleep. Courage tugged on Muriel's hand but it had no effect on her. Finally, he began to lick Muriel's face to try to wake her up. Again there was no response. Muriel was out cold. Courage jumped off of her lap and ran over to Eustace. He tugged on Eustace's hand and even bit him on the leg but Eustace just kept snoring.
Courage began to panic. He hopped from one foot to the other saying, "What do I do, what do I do?" Finally, he calmed down a little bit and began to think. He had to get some help. He fumbled around in his pocket and pulled out a small piece of metal with some words inscribed on it. He read the words aloud and waited.