It was a quiet Tuesday morning in the village of Lower Puddle. Birds chirped, the postman whistled, and Mrs. Penelope Crumb was polishing her silver teapot. Everything was perfectly normal, until she opened her biscuit tin.

Empty.

Penelope stared in horror. “Impossible!” she gasped. “I baked twelve custard creams last night!”

She marched to the window and scanned the street. Nothing suspicious, except for Mr. Blenkinsop, her neighbour, who was wearing sunglasses and a fake moustache. He didn’t usually wear either.

Penelope narrowed her eyes. “Time to investigate.”

She grabbed her magnifying glass (a gift from her niece who thought she was ‘a bit Miss Marple’) and set off.

First stop: Mr. Blenkinsop’s garden.

“Lovely day,” she said sweetly.

“Is it?” he replied, sweating.

Penelope leaned closer. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about a missing biscuit tin, would you?”

He laughed nervously. “Me? No! I’m on a sugar-free diet.”

Penelope sniffed. “Then why do you smell like vanilla custard?”

Before he could answer, a loud bark interrupted them. It was Buster, the vicar’s dog, running down the lane with something shiny in his mouth.

“My tin!” Penelope shouted.

Buster dropped it at her feet, tail wagging. Inside were crumbs, and a single dog biscuit.

The vicar jogged over, red-faced. “I’m terribly sorry, Penelope. Buster has a habit of… borrowing things.”

Penelope sighed. “So it wasn’t Blenkinsop after all.”

The vicar smiled. “To make it up to you, why don’t you come round for tea? I’ve got a fresh batch of shortbread.”

Penelope agreed, but not before giving Buster a stern look. “Next time, stick to your own biscuits.”

As she walked away, Mr. Blenkinsop removed his fake moustache and whispered, “Close call.”

But Penelope heard him.

She turned slowly. “We’ll talk later, Blenkinsop.”

And with that, she disappeared down the lane, magnifying glass in one hand, and her dignity (mostly) intact.

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Vocabulary Notes

Polish (verb)
Meaning: To make something smooth and shiny by rubbing it. Often used for cleaning metal, wood, or shoes.
Example: “Mrs. Penelope Crumb was polishing her silver teapot.”
Similar words: shine, buff, clean, scrub (though “scrub” is usually more vigorous)
Tip: “Polish” can also mean to improve something, like “polish your English skills.”

Narrow (one’s) eyes (phrase)
Meaning: To partly close your eyes, often when you are suspicious, trying to see something clearly, or thinking carefully.
Example: “Penelope narrowed her eyes. ‘Time to investigate.’”
Similar expressions: squint, glare, peer, frown
Tip: This phrase often shows someone is being cautious or doesn’t trust what they see or hear.

Fake (adjective)
Meaning: Not real; made to look like something else.
Example: “Mr. Blenkinsop… was wearing sunglasses and a fake moustache.”
Similar words: false, imitation, pretend, artificial
Tip: “Fake” can describe objects (a fake diamond), people (a fake friend), or actions (a fake smile).

Close call (noun phrase)
Meaning: A situation where something bad almost happened, but was avoided at the last moment.
Example: “Mr. Blenkinsop removed his fake moustache and whispered, ‘Close call.’”
Similar expressions: near miss, narrow escape, just in time
Tip: Often used in humorous or dramatic situations to show relief.

Gasp (verb)
Meaning: To take a quick, deep breath through the mouth, often because of surprise, shock, or fear.
Example: “‘Impossible!’ she gasped.”
Similar words: exclaim, cry out, pant (if tired), inhale sharply
Tip: “Gasp” can also be used as a noun: “There was a gasp from the crowd.”

Story written by Copilot on Windows 11 Pro.

Image created by amiagicx AI.

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.

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