Robbery at the Beach
"Let's go for a swim," Seth said to his friend Laura. "I love swimming at the beach!"
Laura and Seth started running toward the water when they saw a man on his knees, sifting through the sand. He was muttering to himself.
"Let's find out what's wrong with that man," said Seth.
"Okay, agreed Laura. "He looks like he's lost something."
The kids walked over to the man. "Is something wrong?" asked Seth.
"It's my ring!" cried the man. "I took it off to go swimming and hid it under my towel. But now it's gone! It's worth a lot of money."
"We'll help you look, " voluteered Laura.
"It's no use," said the man. "I appreciate your help, but this is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Oh, my name is Simon Ratcliff, kids."
Just then, Mr. Ratcliff saw a man walking by and yelled, "That guy! He's wearing my ring! Stop him!"
The kids jumped in front of the passerby.
"What do you kids want?" he asked with a snarl.
"Sorry, mister, but Mr. Ratcliff says you're wearing his ring. Can you prove it's yours?"
"What? This is ridiculous. Why should I have to prove this is mine?" said the man. "I come here every day to get a tan. And I wear this ring every day. Now get out of my way!"
The man was talking so loud that a crowd had gathered.
"Excuse me, sir," said Laura, "but would you mind taking of the ring?"
He looked around and saw that everyone was watching. He pulled off the ring.
"Mr. Ratcliff examined it and said, "I know this is mine. I just know it!"
"Sorry you lost your ring, fella. But can I have mine back now?" asked the man.
"I'm afraid not," grinned Seth. "When you took off the ring, you gave yourself away."
Laura called the Beach Patrol and Mr. Ratcliff got back his ring.
Laura and Seth started running toward the water when they saw a man on his knees, sifting through the sand. He was muttering to himself.
"Let's find out what's wrong with that man," said Seth.
"Okay, agreed Laura. "He looks like he's lost something."
The kids walked over to the man. "Is something wrong?" asked Seth.
"It's my ring!" cried the man. "I took it off to go swimming and hid it under my towel. But now it's gone! It's worth a lot of money."
"We'll help you look, " voluteered Laura.
"It's no use," said the man. "I appreciate your help, but this is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Oh, my name is Simon Ratcliff, kids."
Just then, Mr. Ratcliff saw a man walking by and yelled, "That guy! He's wearing my ring! Stop him!"
The kids jumped in front of the passerby.
"What do you kids want?" he asked with a snarl.
"Sorry, mister, but Mr. Ratcliff says you're wearing his ring. Can you prove it's yours?"
"What? This is ridiculous. Why should I have to prove this is mine?" said the man. "I come here every day to get a tan. And I wear this ring every day. Now get out of my way!"
The man was talking so loud that a crowd had gathered.
"Excuse me, sir," said Laura, "but would you mind taking of the ring?"
He looked around and saw that everyone was watching. He pulled off the ring.
"Mr. Ratcliff examined it and said, "I know this is mine. I just know it!"
"Sorry you lost your ring, fella. But can I have mine back now?" asked the man.
"I'm afraid not," grinned Seth. "When you took off the ring, you gave yourself away."
Laura called the Beach Patrol and Mr. Ratcliff got back his ring.