“Where’s Paul?” Friend, Nov. 1984, 25
Where’s Paul?
Everyone in Paul’s family has jobs to do on Thanksgiving Day. But when Paul’s sisters go to wake him up so that he can get started on his chores, Paul isn’t in his bed. Where’s Paul? To find out, start in the bedroom and follow each clue in order, then fill in the blanks of the last stanza with the first and last letters of each clue stanza and the first letter of the last stanza.
1 Annie and Chris went to wake Paul,
But he wasn’t in bed or out in the hall
Or in the closet with his yellow hedgehogs,
And his work clothes were gone, as well as his frogs.
2 “Look out the window and see if he’s there;
Search in each corner, under each chair.”
Then Annie told Chris, as she went out the door,
“If he’s not brushing his teeth, we’ll have to look more.”
3 Every inch of the bathroom was searched wall to wall,
But no trace of Paul could be found there at all.
“To the garden,” Chris said, we’ll quietly creep.
If he’s there, we will scare him. Now don’t make a peep.”
4 By the garden wall some flowers were missing—
In their place were Paul’s frogs, croaking and glistening!
Paul had picked flowers, his first chore done early.
His tracks led to the kitchen; they showed up quite clearly.
5 The vase in the kitchen held roses, one mum,
To place on the table when dinner would come.
Paul had left Mother without saying good-bye,
Taking some dishes from the cupboards up high.
6 Each dish was in place on the dining room table.
The napkins were folded—the best Paul was able.
Annie thought hard, then said, knitting her brow,
“Paul might be watching the TV by now.”
7 In his chair by the TV, Dad was quietly snoring,
The home team was losing; the game was quite boring.
“Who would watch this?” Annie asked with a grin,
“Perhaps Paul is playing a game in the den.”
8 Down in the den a warm fire had been built,
And on a card table puzzle pieces lay spilt.
The edge was all done, showing part of a zoo.
“He’s been here and gone. Now what shall we do?
9 “Will we ever find Paul?” Chris impatiently asked.
“Since his chores are all done, we could eat dinner at last.”
“Oh, I see him now,” Annie whispered real low.
“See him? He’s there—____________________________ _______________
Illustrated by Shauna Mooney