Susanna Hill is hosting the 4th Of July Secret Mystery Writing Contest. I can never resist her short story contests, especially when she gives us plenty of time to allow my procrastination to shine and a word limit which causes the homicide of several characters (my apologies bossy Emma and hungry Kenny.)
The Contest:  Write a children's story, in poetry or prose, maximum 400 words 
about the 4th of July in which a secret is revealed or a mystery is solved!



Uncle Alfred's Apple Pie
By Lauri C. Meyers

            "Happy Fourth!" Uncle Alfred said.
            Jaden jumped up to see what exciting treat her world-traveling uncle brought to the party this year.
            "What did you bring?" she asked.
            "Apple pie," he said.
            "Apple pie?" Jaden said. "Not Tabasco fried crickets? Not squid jello? Not tofu frog legs that taste like chicken?"
            "Your mom asked for apple pie," he said.
            Jaden realized he wasn’t carrying a pie. Maybe it was an apple pie so exotic, he hid it! She peeked through his car windows, but she didn't see an apple pie.
(image by Robert Linder via sxc.hu)
    
    Jaden returned to her flag decorations.
    "Argh, they keep falling over!" she said.
    "Try this," Uncle Alfred said. The ball of dough held the flag up perfectly. It also smelled good, so Jaden tried a nibble. The saltiness reminded her of the hidden apple pie.
     Jaden snuck to the kitchen. She found her bubbles, but no apple pie.
          



(image by milan6 via sxc.hu)
         She tried to blow bubbles.   
         "Ick, bubbles on my lips," she said.
         "Try this," Uncle Alfred said sprinkling something in the bubbles. Jaden blew a bubble which glittered in the sun. She caught a sparkly bubble on her tongue. The sweetness reminded her of the hidden apple pie.
         Jaden checked the dessert table- cake, cookies, and jello (without squid), but no apple pie.


(image by calderilla via sxc.hu)
       Boom! Boom! Fireworks popped overhead. But instead of sparks of light, apple slices exploded in the sky. Jaden bit into one slightly roasted apple, which reminded her of the hidden apple pie.
       "Uncle Alfred, where's the apple pie?!" Jaden cried.
       "Sorry, Jaden. I made your mom's pie recipe and put it in a bag," Uncle Alfred said. "But it was so boring, I hid it."  Jaden smiled. It was hidden!
       


        "What do you mean "in a bag?" Mom asked.  
        "Your recipe," Uncle Alfred pulled out a recipe card. "6 apples (sliced), pie dough, ½ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. I put everything in a bag."
         "How long did you bake it?" Mom asked.
         "Bake it?" Alfred asked.
         Jaden turned the card over. "Place dough in pan. Add apples, cinnamon, and sugar and cover with dough. Bake for 60 minutes"
         "Oh, that doesn't sound boring," Uncle Alfred said.
         "Where is this bag of pie now?" Mom asked.
         "I know!" Jaden said, "He hid dough under the flags, hid cinnamon-sugar in the bubbles, and hid apple slices in the fireworks. It wasn’t a boring apple pie after all, Uncle Alfred!"

Happy 4th of July everyone!