The Candy in the Woods

Mary ran to ask Brent’s mom if he could play outside. She was excited about telling Brent of the candy in the woods.
“I suppose he can, but only for 30 minutes,” Brent’s mom told Mary.
Mary and Brent played a few minutes in the backyard. It was to let Brent’s mom see them playing there and to relax. Then they left the yard and entered the wooded area near Brent’s house.
“You won’t believe it. There’s candy in the woods! And it’s not on the ground; it’s in the trees. It’s not old candy either,” she told Brent.

Brent did not believe Mary. Candy in the woods? Sure. And horses in the clouds.

Soon, they came to a clearing. It was true. Different kinds of candy were hung by red yarn in the pine trees. The candy looked fresh. The wrappers were clean and looked new.

“How did the candy get here?” Brent asked.

“Who knows?” Mary said. “Let’s take some. Nobody’s here to see us.”

Among the kinds of candy were Tootsie Rolls, fireballs, little Milky Way squares, cherry-flavored gumdrops and one or two kinds of bubble gum.

Mary and Brent went home with their pockets full of candy that they’d taken off the lower branches of the pine trees.

Mary’s mom heard her daughter come into the house.

“Mary,” her mom said. “I just heard the weirdest thing while talking to Mrs. Smith on the phone. You know Jude, the retarded guy. Well, he stole some candy from the jiffy store. Then the cashier sent the police to Jude’s house. He admitted to his mother and the police that he stole the candy but won’t say where it is or if he ate all of it.”

“What kind of candy, Mom?” asked Mary.

Mary’s mom put her hands on her hips.

“Sweet candy, Mary, what other kind?” she said. “Why?”

Mary didn’t know whether to tell or not. She decided she’d better.

“Uh, because…because we found some candy. Brent and me,” she said.

“Found some candy?” Mary’s mom said. “Where?

“In the woods,” said Mary. “Hanging from some trees.”

“Hanging?” her mom said. “What were you doing in the woods? It’s off limits.”

“Exploring, Mom. We were exploring and we saw the candy. Here’s some of it in my pocket.”

“You aren’t getting away with this being in the woods, young lady,” her mom said. “Right now, we’re going to call Brent’s mom and the police station and tell them about the candy hanging in the woods and now filling your pocket!”

Mary’s face became a mask of fright. “Will I get arrested?” she asked.

“Well, maybe you won’t,” her mom said. “But that’s because you’re telling the truth. Anyway, they’re not going to like it. And the candy has to be returned to the store.”

“Oh,” Mary said. She’d turned pale. “Now I have a stomach ache and I didn’t even eat any candy!”