The Twisted Claw facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Twisted Claw

Original edition
Author	Franklin W. Dixon
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	The Hardy Boys
Genre	Detective, mystery
Publisher	Grosset & Dunlap
Publication date	March 1, 1939
Media type	Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages	172 pp
Preceded by	The Secret Warning
Followed by	The Disappearing Floor

The Twisted Claw is the 18th book in the exciting original The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories series. It was first published by Grosset & Dunlap. This book was written by John Button for the Stratemeyer Syndicate in 1939. Later, between 1959 and 1973, many of the early Hardy Boys books were updated. The original story of The Twisted Claw was rewritten in 1969 by Tom Mulvey. This means there are two different mystery stories with the same title!

Solving the Mystery: The Revised Edition

In the updated version of The Twisted Claw, the famous detective Fenton Hardy is busy with cases about museum robberies. He asks his sons, Frank and Joe, to keep an eye on a ship called the Black Parrot docked in Bayport. The Hardy boys get jobs loading crates onto the ship. However, the crew is not very friendly, and the boys are too busy to investigate properly.

Searching for Clues

Frank and Joe decide to follow another clue. They travel to New York City to look for a rare old book. While searching a used book store, they find a book titled Empire of the Twisted Claw. This book has a special symbol on its cover. This symbol looks exactly like a ring worn by the first mate of the Black Parrot! The boys can't buy the book, but the store owner lets them read it. They learn all about the mysterious Empire of the Twisted Claw. They also discover pirate ships named Black Parrot and Yellow Parrot and the King who ruled this empire.

The DeGraw Collection and Dangerous Encounters

As their investigation continues, the boys and their father learn that the thieves are targeting a special collection called the DeGraw collection. It seems the thieves plan to rob six more museums. Frank and Joe stand guard at one of these museums. But when the thieves strike, they use a special gas that makes the boys fall asleep.

Following another clue, they find the Black Parrot docked again. They watch as the crew loads about a dozen logs onto the ship. The ship then leaves port quickly. The Hardy boys then track down the Yellow Parrot. They get jobs on this ship to look around. While investigating more strange logs in the storeroom, the logs suddenly break free! Frank has to hang from the roof to avoid being crushed.

Escaping and Catching the Crooks

When Frank and Joe learn that the Yellow Parrot is going to meet the Black Parrot, they know they must escape. They jump ship and swim to a strange island. There, they meet an unusual man who lives alone on the island. They manage to leave the island by getting a ride with a pilot who is a friend of the island man. Finally, they can return home.

Later, they receive a radio call from someone on the Yellow Parrot who wants to help them. The boys fly to where the signal came from. They find the ship hidden near the strange island. At first, they are captured, but they manage to escape. While escaping, they learn why the crooks want the DeGraw collection. They also capture the masterminds behind all the museum robberies!

The Original Adventure: 1939 Edition

In the first version of The Twisted Claw, detective Fenton Hardy tells his sons, Frank and Joe, about a clever and dangerous group of smugglers. This group is operating in their area, and the government needs help to stop them. Fenton says he might need their help quickly. He reminds them of a secret code he gave them to use if he needs to call them. Frank and Joe don't tell him that Frank's wallet, which has the code, is lost.

A Mysterious Book and a Secret Code

Fenton asks the boys to find a rare book about solving crimes. As Fenton gets ready to leave on his mission, Frank notices someone watching their house. Fenton leaves in a disguise so he won't be followed. Soon after he leaves, someone tries to break into the house, but Frank and Joe scare them away.

The next day, they search for the criminology book. They find it in a used book store. They also find a strange book called Fifty Thousand Dead Men, written by a pirate captain. They take both books home.

At home, they get a call from a stranger named Pierre, who has a strong French-Canadian accent. Pierre claims to be working for their father. He demands that the boys bring Fenton's papers to a bar by the water. Pierre tries several times to trick the boys into giving him their father's papers. He even uses the secret code after Frank's wallet mysteriously reappears. Each time the boys stop him, they follow Pierre back to a ship called the Black Parrot. The ship is being loaded for departure. After looking at the ship and hearing a sailor say he got the papers, they go home.

Kidnapped Father and a Twisted Clue

At home, they find their Aunt and the housekeeper tied up, and their father's papers are gone. Remembering what they heard on the Black Parrot about "the papers," they rush to the ship. But it has already left. They chase it in their speedboat but run out of gas, and the ship gets away. They learn little from the shipping office clerk, only that the Black Parrot often goes to logging camps along the Canadian coast.

Back home, their mother returns from a trip. She tells them about a strange message from their father that a hotel clerk received. Using the code sheet, Frank and Joe figure out that the message mentions "fishing boat" and tells them to go to the Canadian woods. They believe their father has been kidnapped and could only leave a partial message. They decide to go to the Canadian woods. They plan to explore the logging camps to find their father and maybe the Black Parrot. They ask their friend, Chet, to watch their house.

On the train, Frank reads the pirate book. He discovers that the pirate, Captain Gronger, had a pet parrot that broke its leg. The parrot's claw became twisted. The pirate captain then used a twisted claw as his special symbol.

Into the Canadian Woods

Once in Canada, they travel into the woods to a lumber town called Woodsville. They arrive at night and check into a rustic hotel. They are assigned a room to share with two other guests. When these two guests see the Hardys, they are startled and run away. The Hardys chase them, but they escape. One of them looks like the intruder they saw back home.

Later, they find out that the taller of the two is young Jim Hoskin, the son of old Jim Hoskin. They go to old Jim Hoskin's cabin. They meet young Jim and his shorter friend, a sailor. After a short fight, the two get away again.

Joe goes out alone in the dark while Frank sleeps. A car silently drives through the village with its engine off. Joe jumps onto the back to follow the suspects. He hears Jim and the sailor complaining about Pierre, who acts like he is the "Claw King." When the car hits a bump, Joe is hurt and discovered. The two tie him to a log at the top of a log jam in a river. If the jam cleared, he would be swept away.

Rescue and New Clues

Frank wakes up and realizes Joe has been gone too long. He goes to find him. Following Joe's footprints and then the car's tire tracks, he reaches where Joe was captured. He hears Joe calling for help and rescues him from the log jam just in time. They stumble upon a nearby lumber camp and get food and medical help. One of the men identifies Jim Hoskin's friend as Slim Wetzel.

Back at the hotel, they call Chet. Chet tells them that someone tried to break into their house again. When he looked for fingerprints, one looked like a claw.

They decide to go deeper into the lumber country. They plan to visit all the lumber camps to find their father. On horseback, they head to a nearby village. From some locals, they learn that Young Jim and Slim Wetzel had been in the area. They were trying to get sleeping powder for a "maniac" in their group. The "maniac," lying in the back seat of the car, was making noises and saying something about "frogs climb double trees."

The Hardys suspect the "maniac" is their father. They think he is pretending to be confused and trying to send them a message using the code. They check the code and figure out that the police should raid a place in the woods. But the code doesn't explain "double trees." They guess it refers to a lumber camp name. They find a "Twin Spruce Camp" nearby on their map and head there.

Confronting the Smugglers

Near the camp, a large wolf-dog attacks them. After fighting it off, they see a man dragging the wolf-dog into a cabin. They suspect their father is being held prisoner there. They decide to call the Canadian Mounted Police for help. They ride to the nearby headquarters. Sergeant Johnson tells them the camp has been closed for four years and no one should be there. All three ride back to the camp quickly.

As they sneak up on the cabin, the wolf-dog attacks them again. But Sergeant Johnson uses a special net to trap it. Breaking into the cabin, they find and confront Young Jim and Slim Wetzel. They overcome them and tie them up. Sergeant Johnson leaves with the men, leaving Frank and Joe to guard the cabin until he returns.

Exploring, Joe finds a hidden room upstairs. Breaking into it, he discovers his father. Fenton is very weak and can barely talk. They give their father a stimulant. Frank tells him that while Sergeant Johnson was tying up the prisoners, he noticed they both had twisted claws branded on their index fingers.

Fenton tells them how he was captured after leaving the message their mother received. He explains how he pretended to be confused and used his words to try to send them a message. As they talk, they notice the forest around them is on fire, and they are trapped.

Escape from Fire and a New Mission

As the fire gets closer to the cabin, it seems there's no way out. Suddenly, a horse and rider burst through the flames! It's Sergeant Johnson. He quickly tells them how to guide their horses through the fire and straps Fenton to his horse. After safely getting through the fire, they head back to the village. At the village, Fenton receives medical attention.

They decide to call Chet for an update. Chet tells them that while investigating the Black Parrot, he found out there are many "Parrot" boats, each named with a different color. Frank realizes the smuggling gang must have read the pirate book they found and are using it as a guide.

Fenton calls the boys and tells them that Sergeant Johnson overheard the prisoners talking about a boat named the Black Parrot that will dock at a small port town, Little Cove. Fenton tells them to go on the boat to solve the case. They travel to Little Cove.

Joining the Crew of the Black Parrot

In Little Cove, they find that the Black Parrot has not arrived yet. They then spot Pierre and follow him back to a large house. In the morning, they get sailor's clothes as a disguise and binoculars. They watch Pierre's house. Using the binoculars, they can see a claw mark on his index finger.

The next morning, the Black Parrot arrives. Frank and Joe go to the waterfront in their disguises to join the crew. Luckily, when they approach the first mate, he has just fired two crew members and hires them on the spot. They report to the ship the next morning and start working right away. While working, Frank sees the twisted claw print on the Captain's finger. Joe overhears the Captain and Pierre say they are sailing to King Barracuda's Island for a meeting of all the King's followers from around the world.

Joe notices that the Captain loves playing solitaire card games. Joe manages to get him interested in new games and strategies. Frank becomes friendly with "Sparks," the radio operator. Joe gets a chance to secretly search the Captain's cabin. He finds one of his father's missing papers. A note on it says that Jim Hoskin had captured Fenton, and it was signed by Pierre.

Mutiny and a Storm at Sea

The crew notices that the Hardys are trying to be friendly with the officers and confronts them. One of them jokingly mentions that Joe has been doing card tricks for the Captain. Joe quickly asks for a deck of cards and starts doing magic tricks. The crew is amazed and entertained by Joe's tricks, and the boys win them over.

The crew asks the boys to find out from the Captain where the ship is headed. They have seen signs of bad luck and believe that only by getting to land soon will they break a "spell." Frank promises to ask the Captain and tell them. When they see Pierre going to the Captain's cabin, they listen in. They hear the Captain tell him they will reach Barracuda Island in six days. But before they can tell the crew, the crew rebels! They lock the Captain and other officers in the ship's prison.

Frank and Joe use this chance to search Pierre's cabin. They find a report that details amazing worldwide smuggling activities. The boys realize that if the crew's rebellion succeeds, they won't be able to get to Barracuda Island and stop the smuggling ring. They decide to stop the mutiny.

A terrible storm begins. The rebellious crew members argue among themselves and cannot handle the situation. The ship is close to sinking, and there is chaos. In the confusion, Frank gets the key to the prison and frees the officers. They quickly take charge. The crew, fearing death, follows orders and fights to save the ship. In the end, the ship is badly damaged but survives. The Captain is back in control. The leaders of the mutiny are rounded up and locked in the prison.

Barracuda Island and the Claw King

A few days later, the ship reaches Barracuda Island. But the crew is disappointed to learn they are not allowed to go ashore. After the Captain, Pierre, and a few officers leave, the Hardys slip overboard and swim to the shore.

On the island, they meet a resident and are almost discovered. But they convince him to keep their presence a secret. From him, they learn that the island has three groups of people. There are the native people, European descendants of shipwreck survivors who don't know much about the outside world or the smuggling, and a ruling class led by the Barracuda King, who runs illegal businesses worldwide.

The boys blend in with the people. They observe various celebrations for the arrival of the fleet for the yearly meeting with the King. They learn there will be a parade to welcome the Captains and officers to the King's castle. There, they will report on their activities and get awards for their successes. The Hardys use the commotion of the parade to sneak past the gate and enter the castle. Carefully exploring, they hide in an empty room with a balcony overlooking the audience hall and the King's throne.

From their hiding place, they watch new recruits join the "Order of the Twisted Claw." Each new member has the twisted claw symbol branded onto their finger with a hot poker.

The King is then ready to hear reports from each ship's crew. But first, he questions Pierre and the Captain severely. He asks about the absence of Young Jim and Slim. He even threatens them with death for letting them disappear and possibly endangering the Order. Pierre lies and tells the King they died in the forest fire. The King waits to judge until he hears their report.

When it's their turn, Pierre and the Captain amaze everyone with how much smuggling they have done and how profitable it is. They explain how they use hollow logs and fake papers to smuggle expensive goods into the United States and make a profit. The King forgives them for Young Jim and Slim's disappearance. He gives them a large chest of gold coins as a grand prize.

Final Confrontation and Victory

The Hardys have seen enough. They sneak out of the castle and swim back to the ship. The officer in charge had noticed their absence. But they make up a story about going for a swim and being attacked by barracudas. The crew believes them and is entertained as the boys tell their adventure.

"Sparks," the radio operator, asks Frank to help him fix the wireless radio. Frank winds a new coil and gets it working. The Captain and Pierre return to the ship. Pierre looks at the boys suspiciously when he sees them. The boys suspect they have been recognized. As a precaution, Frank tells Sparks that the coil needs more work and disconnects it. Soon after, Pierre confronts them and has them thrown into the prison.

The brothers decide their only hope is to use the crew's dislike for the Captain to start another mutiny. They find out that the Captain has given some gold coins to the men, so they won't turn against him. Changing their plan, Joe uses the crew's superstitious nature. He tells one of the crew that the Captain is going to kill them, which will curse the ship and make it sink, drowning everyone. The terrified sailor rushes to tell the rest of the crew. He returns and tells them the crew is afraid of being punished and won't start a second uprising. Just then, one of the officers appears and herds them to the Captain's cabin. As a last desperate chance, the boys make a commotion, yelling out, "Don't kill us!" The crew, listening outside, becomes scared. They break down the cabin door and take the Captain, Pierre, and the officers to the prison.

Now free, the brothers see their chance to use the wireless radio to call for help. Sparks pretends not to know what's happening and asks for the coil to be put back. Frank seems to agree. As soon as Sparks thinks the radio is fixed, he turns on them and tries to call the other Parrot ships to stop the mutiny. But Frank only pretended to fix it, and the radio doesn't work. The crew puts Sparks in the prison.

With the radio truly fixed, the Hardys try to call for help. But a storm begins, and the static makes it impossible to know if their messages are getting through. After many attempts to send a message, the radio stops working without receiving any reply.

One of the crew members tells them they have decided to change course and head for the Mediterranean Sea. They want to avoid being punished for the mutiny. They are even thinking about freeing the Captain, who has promised to double their money and make sure they are not punished. Just then, the lookout on the mast spots a ship coming towards them. The radio messages got through! It is a U.S. revenue cutter (a government ship). A warning shot is fired, and a boarding crew takes over the ship. Fenton Hardy is on board the cutter and congratulates his sons on a job well done.

A worldwide alert is sent out. Any officers of the Parrot vessels with the claw symbol are arrested. American warships take over the island and capture the King of Barracuda. Back home, the Hardys travel to Washington for the official investigation. They confront the captured king. They show him the pirate book. He confesses that the author was his grandfather. He always regretted losing the book and feared it would lead to his downfall.

Images for kids

• 

  Original edition cover