The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion facts for kids
Original edition cover
|
|
| Author | Carolyn Keene |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Russell H. Tandy |
| Language | English |
| Series | Nancy Drew Mystery Stories |
| Publisher | Grosset & Dunlap |
|
Publication date
|
1941, 1971 |
| ISBN | 0-448-09518-1 |
| OCLC | 162578 |
| LC Class | PZ7 .K23 Nan no. 18 1971 |
| Preceded by | The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk |
| Followed by | The Quest of the Missing Map |
The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion is the eighteenth book in the exciting Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. It was first published in 1941. The story was written by Mildred Wirt Benson, based on ideas from Harriet Stratemeyer Adams.
In 1971, the book was updated and its title changed to Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion. The new version has a completely different story. The original book had many mysteries happening around a strange house deep in the forest. Nancy helps her father find a missing heiress, uncover a fake person, investigate a serious incident, and look into weird screams. None of the action in the first story happened in River Heights, Nancy's hometown.
The Original Mystery (1941)
In the 1941 version, Nancy's father, Carson Drew, asks for her help to find a young woman who is supposed to inherit a lot of money. Nancy, along with her friends Bess and George, soon discover a mysterious mansion covered in moss. They hear about a serious event near the mansion and strange noises coming from inside. This story is full of adventure, including the missing heiress, an elderly lady who needs help, a quiet artist, a plane accident, and even a forest fire.
Finding the Moss-Covered Mansion
The adventure begins when Nancy, Bess Marvin, and George Fayne travel to a place called Ashley to meet Nancy's father. While looking for water, Bess gets separated. Nancy and George find her near an old house covered in moss. Bess says she heard a spooky scream from the house. George teases her but then falls into a lily pond and loses her special watch. The girls then hear the scream Bess mentioned. A man from the house tells them to leave. They hear a loud noise from inside, making Nancy even more curious. The man warns them again, so they drive to Ashley, wondering about their strange experience. George realizes she lost her watch, but it's too late to go back that day.
Staying in Ashley
Nancy and her friends arrive at Mrs. Lee’s boarding house, where they will stay. Carson Drew has not yet arrived. Nancy has a painting of herself by a famous artist, Jules Raynad, as a birthday gift for her father. She finds the painting scratched during travel. Mrs. Lee, who studied art, offers Nancy paints to fix it. Nancy successfully repairs the painting and gives it to her father, who loves it.
Returning to the Mansion
The next day, the girls go back to the moss-covered mansion. They hear another scream and are told to leave by a servant, who lets a wild dog loose. The dog chases Nancy, who quickly warns Bess and George. The three girls climb a tree to escape the barking dog. Luckily, Carson Drew finds them and ties the dog to a tree.
New Clues and a Missing Heiress
Back at the boarding house, Nancy is surprised to see Jules Raynad, the artist. He is upset his painting was damaged but impressed by Nancy's repair. Mr. Raynad tells Nancy that the Hurd family used to live in the mansion, but they all passed away from a strange illness. People now avoid the house, fearing the disease. Nancy finds this information very useful.
Later, Nancy and her friends meet Ned Nickerson, who brings important papers for Carson Drew's case. Ned tells Nancy that someone was attacked near the moss-covered mansion. Nancy, Bess, and George investigate the mansion again but find nothing new.
A Mysterious Man and a New Friend
When they return, Bess and George get poison ivy and are treated. That evening, Mr. Drew discusses his case: a young woman named June Campbell is missing. She is 22 years old and has inherited $52,000. Nancy and her friends decide to help find her.
The next day, the girls visit a carnival. They watch a mischievous monkey that escapes. Nancy and others search for it. Back at the boarding house, they see a man who looks like a "gypsy" with earrings and a bandana. He accuses Nancy of harming his brother. He says his name is Ramo and demands revenge. After Ramo leaves, Nancy learns about Mrs. Labelle, June Campbell’s old nanny.
Helping Mrs. Labelle
The next day, Nancy, Bess, and George visit Mrs. Labelle. The old woman is poor, and her house is falling apart. The girls feel sorry for her and promise to help. Mrs. Labelle gives Nancy a picture of June. Suddenly, the ceiling collapses. Mrs. Labelle dislocates her arm, so Bess and George take her to Ashley for medical care. Nancy stays to clean up and save June's pictures. While she works, Ramo tries to bother Nancy, but Carson Drew arrives and scares him away.
Later, Mrs. Labelle tells Nancy that June had a friend named Penelope Parson. Nancy finds Penelope, who says June wrote to her months ago about marrying a man named Roland. A few days later, Carson Drew announces he will return to River Heights because his secretary heard from June Campbell. Nancy arranges for repairs at Mrs. Labelle’s house and oversees the work.
The Impostor Heiress
Mr. Drew decides to bring June Campbell to Ashley so Mrs. Labelle and Penelope Parson can reunite with her. While waiting, Nancy, Bess, and George return to the moss-covered mansion. Bess is scared by a snake and a lion's roar from the house. George quickly finds her watch. Bess and George want to leave, but Nancy investigates further and finds a police officer’s badge. They then leave. On the way to Ashley, they find the missing monkey and bring him to the boarding house.
The girls prepare dinner at Mrs. Labelle’s house for June Campbell’s arrival. They are excited, though Mrs. Labelle and Penelope say June has changed. The heiress is ungrateful and cold, making Nancy suspicious. That night, Nancy discusses her doubts with Mrs. Lee. Nancy realizes she accidentally took Mrs. Labelle’s key. She drives back with Mrs. Lee to return it. Outside the house, she sees Ramo climbing a ladder into June Campbell’s bedroom. Nancy runs inside, finds June’s door locked, and climbs the ladder herself. The ladder sways, and Nancy falls but is not hurt. She reports Ramo to the police and returns home. After talking with her father, they realize this June Campbell is a fake. Unfortunately, Carson Drew has already given her all the inheritance money in cash.
Uncovering the Truth
The next day, George and Bess find a business card near the mansion. It belongs to Madame Cully, a psychic reader in Carbon City. They show it to Nancy, who thinks it must be Ramo’s. Nancy and her friends go to Carbon City. In a soda shop, they hear a woman say Madame Cully’s readings are very accurate. Nancy learns the psychic has an attractive daughter.
At Madame Cully’s place, they see she bought an expensive car. After the salesman leaves, Ramo appears and gets in the car with Madame Cully and a girl with a blue veil, who is Madame Cully’s daughter. The girls watch them. Bess and George go for the police while Nancy tries to stop the car. Nancy jumps into the car but is thrown out by Ramo. As the car drives away, a neighbor checks on Nancy. He tells her Madame Cully’s daughter is named Venus. Bess and George return with a policeman, but they can’t find the car.
Driving back, Nancy, Bess, and George see the carnival again. They tell the man there that they found his monkey. He tells them Madame Cully worked for the carnival and her maiden name was Ramo. He also says Venus’s father, an acrobat, passed away. Venus looks like her father and can imitate voices. She is about 22 and seems controlled by her mother.
On the way back, Nancy spots Madame Cully’s new car at a gas station. The attendant says she traded it for another car. He gives Nancy the car’s motor number. Nancy returns to the boarding house and gives this information to her father. Then she, George, and Bess go back to the moss-covered mansion. They meet a couple who ask for directions to the mansion. Nancy gives them directions, and they drive off. The girls also go to the mansion, where Nancy finds a pearl-handled revolver. A bearded man grabs it from her. The girls chase him but can’t catch him and return to the boarding house.
More Discoveries and a Rescue
There, they learn Mrs. Labelle had a heart attack. They go to her house, where Penelope is caring for her. Nancy, Bess, and George offer to stay overnight to help. In the room Venus Cully used, Nancy finds a note from June Campbell to Madame Cully. From the note, Nancy realizes Venus was practicing copying June’s handwriting. The note also says June once lived in Liberty Corners. After Mrs. Labelle has another heart attack, Nancy, Bess, and George decide to hire a nurse with the reward money they got for finding the monkey.
Back at the boarding house, Nancy and her father plan to fly to Liberty Corners in a private plane. After boarding, the pilot gets lost in the mist, and the plane crashes. Nancy wakes up and frantically looks for her dad. The plane catches fire, starting a forest fire. While helping the pilot, Nancy is knocked out. She wakes up in a dark room, hearing strange moans and screams. She finds her way out and realizes she was inside the moss-covered mansion. Nancy rushes to a hospital, where she meets George and Bess, who tell her her dad is recovering. The girls return to the boarding house. Nancy wakes up that afternoon and visits her father.
The Final Clues
The next day, Nancy goes with George and Bess to Liberty Corners. On the train, she meets Jules Raynad. Mr. Raynad tells them about Karl Karter, an artist who paints wild animals. Karter met June’s father, Burton Campbell, who guided him through Africa. Mr. Raynad knew June and gives Nancy her address. They are disappointed to find June’s home empty.
When the girls visit Mrs. Labelle, she tells them Ramo has no brother. Realizing Ramo’s story was a lie, the three girls return to the moss-covered mansion, where Nancy sees Ramo digging. It starts to rain, so they go back to the boarding house. They return to the mansion again and see Ramo still digging. Nancy disconnects wires in Ramo’s car. The girls get the police and bring them back to the mansion, where they catch Ramo. They find money in the container he dug up. Ramo confesses and is arrested, and the police send out a warning for Madame Cully.
Nancy and her friends return to the boarding house and meet Jules Raynad. He tells them a Miss Campbell, likely June, is posing for Karl Karter, but he doesn’t know where the artist lives. After Mr. Raynad leaves, Nancy learns Ramo broke out of jail. Nancy, Bess, George, and Mr. Drew drive around Ashley. They find a policeman with a suspect and identify him as Ramo.
The Real June Campbell
The next day, the four go to the police investigation at the moss-covered mansion. Nancy finds a wallet with papers belonging to Karl Karter. The bearded man comes out of the house, and Nancy uses the wallet to make him admit who he is. The bearded man is Karl Karter, who hid in the mansion to paint in peace, away from visitors. The artist takes them inside, where they learn the screams and noises were from the wild animals Karter uses as models. They find the real June Campbell, Karter’s model, fighting off a leopard. The leopard lunges at Nancy, but June saves her. Carson Drew and two policemen enter and meet June.
Ramo reveals where more money is hidden, and Nancy finds some in a secret spot. They find more in the woods, but most of it is still with Madame Cully. Karl Karter admits one of his servants helped Nancy after the plane crash. He also says the pearl-handled revolver belongs to June Campbell, for protecting herself from the wild animals. Nancy learns the couple who asked for directions to the mansion were June Campbell and her husband.
The next day, June reunites with Penelope and Mrs. Labelle. June decides to give Mrs. Labelle part of her inheritance for care and house repairs. They decide to take pictures at the moss-covered mansion. They see Madame Cully there and report her to the police. She is arrested, and the rest of June’s inheritance is found. Thanks to Nancy, Venus Cully gets a good job at the carnival. June Campbell’s full inheritance is returned to her.
The Revised Story (1971)
The 1971 version, now called Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion, has a very different plot. A friend of Nancy’s father is arrested for sending a truck with "explosive oranges" to a Space Center. Nancy and her father believe he is innocent and rush to help him. During their investigation, Nancy becomes suspicious of an old, spooky mansion. Behind a tall fence, wild African animals roam the large grounds. Nancy discovers that more than just animal training is happening at the mysterious moss-covered mansion.
Some adult readers find parts of the revised story unusual, like the explosive oranges. They also mention a thrilling ending where Ned and Nancy are trapped in the house and almost fall into boiling water before being rescued.
Artwork in the Book
The original cover art for the 1941 book was painted by Russell H. Tandy. It shows Nancy, Bess, and George digging for buried money at the mansion. Tandy also drew a picture inside the book. This was the first book in the series to have only one simple illustration inside, instead of the detailed, glossy art used before.
The cover art was updated in the 1960s by Rudy Nappi, showing Nancy, Bess, and George in the same scene. Nappi also drew a new cover for the revised book, with Nancy being stalked by a panther. An artist who was not credited drew five line drawings and a front picture for the updated story inside the book.
Images for kids
-
Original edition cover
