The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Robert Arthur, Jr. |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Three Investigators |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Published | 1964 (Random House) |
| Pages | 182 (first, hardback edition) |
| OCLC | 3208228 |
| Preceded by | The Secret of Terror Castle |
| Followed by | The Mystery of the Whispering Mummy |
The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot is an exciting detective novel for young readers. It was written by Robert Arthur, Jr. in 1964. This book is the second adventure in the popular "Three Investigators" series.
Contents
What Is the Story About?
In this mystery, the Three Investigators are hired by a friend of their mentor, Alfred Hitchcock. Their mission is to find his missing parrot. Soon, the boys learn that this parrot is special. It is one of seven parrots, each trained to say a secret message.
The Secret Messages of the Parrots
The mystery changes from finding one bird to uncovering the secret behind these strange messages. The boys discover that others are also looking for the parrots' secret. These include a famous art thief named Huganay. Everyone believes the messages will lead them to something very valuable.
The parrots' messages are:
- Little Bo Peep: "Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep and doesn't know where to find it. Call on Sherlock Holmes."
- Shakespeare (Billy): "To-to-to-be or not to-to-to-be. That is the question."
- Blackbeard (a Myna bird): "I'm Blackbeard the pirate and I've buried my treasure where dead men guard it ever. Yo-ho-ho and a bottle o' rum!"
- Robin Hood: "I shot an arrow as a test, a hundred paces shot it west."
- Sherlock Holmes: "You know my methods, Watson. Three Severns lead to thirteen."
- Captain Kidd: "Look under the stones beyond the bones for the box that has no locks."
- Scarface: "I never give a sucker an even break, and that's a lead pipe cinch. Ha-ha-ha!"
How Do the Boys Solve the Mystery?
The Three Investigators figure out that each message is a clue.
- Little Bo Peep's message points to Sherlock Holmes. This makes them think of Baker Street.
- Billy's stutter, "to-to-to-be," sounds like "222-B." So, the address becomes 222-B Baker Street in California.
- Blackbeard's message about "dead men" suggests a graveyard. The location is a graveyard at 222-B Baker Street.
- Robin Hood's clue tells them to go 100 paces west from the entrance.
- Sherlock Holmes's message leads them to the Severn family's grave. From there, they find thirteen unknown graves.
- Captain Kidd's clue directs them to look under large stones for a box with no locks.
- Pete, one of the investigators, finds a piece of pipe. He later realizes Scarface's message about a "lead pipe cinch" is a clue. The valuable item, a picture, is hidden inside this pipe.
Audio Adaptation
In 1984, this book was turned into an audio story. It was released on cassette by Rainbow Communications Limited in England. Edward Kelsey adapted the story for the audio version.
