The Disappearing Floor facts for kids
Original edition
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| Author | Franklin W. Dixon |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Hardy Boys |
| Genre | Detective, mystery |
| Publisher | Grosset & Dunlap |
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Publication date
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May 1, 1940 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 192 pp |
| Preceded by | The Twisted Claw |
| Followed by | The Mystery of the Flying Express |
The Disappearing Floor is the 19th book in the exciting The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories series. It was first published by Grosset & Dunlap in 1940. This book is all about Frank Hardy and Joe Hardy, two teenage brothers who love solving mysteries!
This mystery was written by John Button in 1940 for a group called the Stratemeyer Syndicate. This group created many popular book series, like the Hardy Boys. Later, between 1959 and 1973, the first 38 books in the series were updated. The original story of The Disappearing Floor was rewritten in 1964 by James D. Lawrence. This means there are two different stories with the same title!
In the United Kingdom, the book was published in 1971 by William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. It was called The Mystery of the Disappearing Floor and was the fifth book in their series.
Contents
Unraveling the Mystery: The Revised Story
In the updated version of the story, the Hardy boys, Frank and Joe, help their dad, Fenton Hardy. He is a famous detective. They are trying to catch a well-known jewel thief named Noel Strang and his helpers.
The Chase Begins
The adventure starts when the boys see Strang's car. They try to follow it, but the car drops a purple smoke bomb! This forces the Hardys to stop their car. On their way home, they meet their friend Chet Morton. Chet was collecting rocks in the woods when he heard strange screams.
A Strange Discovery
When the boys investigate Chet's story, they find a weird tiled floor in the woods. Nearby, an injured man suddenly wakes up and runs away! Their mystery continues with a stolen amethyst (a purple gem). Then, a bomb damages their boat, the Sleuth. They also encounter a fierce-looking hound. It turns out the dog is actually an electric scare device!
Secrets of Perth Mansion
When Aunt Gertrude hears where the boys found Chet, she tells them they were near Old Man Perth’s house. She explains that strange deaths have happened there. The owner, Jerome Perth, was a rich businessman who made many enemies. When he died, his nephew, Clarence Perth, inherited the house.
Soon after moving in, Clarence's servants heard him scream one night. They found him on his bedroom floor with a broken skull. He only managed to say, "Th...the Floor!" before he died. The room's door and windows were locked from the inside. No one ever solved how he died.
Following the Clues
The Hardy boys figure out a pilot might be helping the thieves. They go into his airplane hangar to look at his plane. Joe uses a tiny camera to take a picture of a map he finds in the plane. This map leads them to a hidden cabin in the woods. It's in a small bay called Tigers Bight.
However, the boys don't get to explore the cabin right away. Their family friend, Jack Wayne, crashes his plane Skyhappy Sal nearby and gets hurt. After rescuing Jack, the boys return to the Perth mansion. There, they find the jewel thieves hiding! The thieves are tricking a professor, Aden Darrow, into making a 'freeze ray gun' for them.
Solving the Mystery
After more detective work, the Hardy boys finally figure out how Clarence died. It was an accident caused by the 'disappearing floor' in his bedroom! Unfortunately, the boys are captured before they can tell anyone. Luckily, Strang brags about his plans. He tells them how the gang has been using the freeze ray guns to stun security guards. This helps them steal jewels.
Strang also explains how they rigged an elevator to go to the wrong floor. They set up a fake office there. This allowed them to receive a special shipment of diamonds without anyone suspecting anything. They got away safely with the jewels in what they called the Haley Heist.
Finally, Fenton Hardy arrives at the Perth Mansion with the police. He rescues his sons and arrests all the thieves!
Original Story Summary
In the very first version of the book, the Hardy boys help bring a group of bank robbers to justice.
Television Adaptations
The story was completely changed for The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries television series. In the show, the boys' father asks them to watch an employee of a technology company. Their job gets tricky when they follow the employee to a lonely property. They start having many strange experiences, like seeing a UFO! This makes them doubt what is real.
