The Mysterious Carrot-Thief

Lili Forgács


10 December, Wednesday
I can’t believe it. Snow is falling in Florida! It hasn’t snowed for about three years. Thus not a surprise that, when I arrived home from school, I built an enormous snowman in the backyard. It became really pretty with its long, orange carrot-nose and black pot-hat. I even put a striped scarf around its neck. I can see it out of my window, standing in the middle of the garden with a friendly smile made of walnuts. I hope it won’t melt away tomorrow.

11 December, Thursday
Thank God, the snowman is still alive! However, it lost its nose. In the morning, I went down looking for it, but unfortunately, I couldn’t find it, and due to the new layer of snow, I couldn’t see footsteps either. As there was no other solution, I asked for a new carrot from Mom. Anyway, I named the snowman Shawn, as its pronounciation is really similar to snow.

12 December, Friday
The case is getting more and more interesting and mysterious! Shawn had no nose in the morning, and I still can’t figure out where the carrots are. Mom gave me another, but she said it is the last one. I decided to stay up during the night and check on the snowman with my telescope.

13 December, Saturday
The plan failed as I fell asleep after 11 p.m. It seems Shawn remains noseless for the rest of his life.

14 December, Sunday
The mystery has been solved!  Tomorrow in P.E. lesson we will sledge in the yard of the school, and we were asked to bring sledges. My sledge is kept in the carport. I was looking for it, when I heard a fumbling noise. I thought it was nothing, but when I told Dad, he became really scared. “What if a mumbler lives there, and destroys the cables of the car?” he said. This is why we went back and followed the sounds. It came from a box full of clothes. Fighting off all my fears, I looked into that box, and found the culprit. The carrot-thief was nothing other than a little cutie hedgehog. It was so cold inside the carport, I couldn’t let that little guy just stay there during the winter. With Mom’s permission, I created a home for it in my room in a cage, and according to our arrangement I will set it free when the weather becomes warmer. (I hope it will never happen.)