Nate the Great Saves the King of Sweden Read online

  I said, “I, Nate the Great,

  have just solved this case.

  Now all we have to do is

  wait for Rosamond

  to come home.”

  Two weeks later

  my doorbell rang.

  I opened the door.

  Rosamond and her cats

  were there.

  She was carrying her suitcase.

  “I’m home!” she shouted.

  “I came here first

  to tell you that

  I am still missing

  what I lost.

  You are a terrible detective.

  I knew I should have hired

  the King of Sweden.”

  “How could I let you know

  if I solved your case?”

  I asked. “I did not know

  where you were in Sweden.”

  “I’m famous in Scandinavia,”

  Rosamond said. “I’m easy to find.”

  “Open your suitcase,” I said.

  “Why?” she asked.

  “You’ll see.”

  Rosamond opened her suitcase.

  “See how neat it is,” she said.

  “I put everything exactly

  where it belongs.”

  “You packed all the presents

  you bought?”

  “I got T-shirts and a troll,”

  Rosamond said. “I packed

  the T-shirts

  but I lost the troll.

  I thought I had packed it,

  but it’s not in the suitcase.”

  I bent down to the suitcase.

  I picked up Rosamond’s hiking boots.

  I looked inside the left one.

  It was empty.

  I looked inside the right one.

  Something was in it.

  I reached in

  and pulled the something out.

  It had the longest nose

  and more hair than anything

  I had ever seen.

  “My troll!” Rosamond cried.

  “Now I remember where I put it.”

  “Yes. Annie told me you had

  a plan for everything you packed.

  You bought this troll

  and you gave it a home.

  You knew that trolls

  live in dark places.

  So you put it in

  the bottom of your boot.”

  “Right!” Rosamond said.

  “It was cozy and perfect.”

  “And you forgot,” I said.

  “You had already gone hiking,

  so you didn’t use the boots again.

  Time went by.

  You went to smorgasbords,

  you went to Sweden,

  you went to a palace.

  Then you remembered that

  you hadn’t seen your troll.

  So you thought you had lost it.

  I, Nate the Great, say

  that sometimes things

  are put in places

  that are so special

  that nobody remembers

  where they are.

  Sludge had buried a bone

  in a special place

  and couldn’t find it.”

  Rosamond clutched the troll.

  “Oh, you are so lucky

  to be such a great detective.

  Because now you can have

  the present I got you.”

  Rosamond pushed the troll at me.

  “I am giving everyone else

  NORWAY LOVES ROSAMOND T-shirts.

  But when I saw this troll

  in the window,

  I knew it was you!”

  Rosamond closed her suitcase

  and walked out with her four cats.

  Sludge sniffed the troll.

  “This troll still

  needs a good home,” I said.

  I went down to my cellar,

  walked to its darkest corner,

  and sat the troll down.

  “Enjoy your life,” I said.

  Then I went upstairs.

  This case could have ended better

  for me, Nate the Great.

  But not for the King of Sweden.

  He was one lucky king.

  He would never get

  a card

  or a phone call

  or a knock on the palace door

  from Rosamond.

  Nate’s Notes: The King of Sweden

  Nate’s Notes: Trolls

  Nate’s Notes: Eating in Scandinavia

  A Map of Scandinavia

  How to Decorate a T-shirt

  How to Make Swedish Meatballs

  How to Make Gravy and Noodles

  Funny Pages

  Iceland is a green place with nice weather. The Vikings (seafaring warriors) discovered and named Iceland. The small island country is home to 800 hot springs.

  Rosamond’s T-shirt says NORGE KJERLIGHET ROSAMOND. That means “Norway loves Rosamond.” You can make a T-shirt that says anything you want. Draw pictures. Paint cool designs. Do the King of Sweden’s portrait. (Or Nate’s.) Try this at a party.

  GET TOGETHER:

  • cardboard (cut-up boxes work fine)

  • a prewashed T-shirt for each guest

  • masking tape

  • newspaper

  • nontoxic fabric paint

  • paintbrushes

  DECORATE YOUR T-SHIRT:

  1. Slip the cardboard into your T-shirt. Pull the shirt tight over the cardboard. Tape the sleeves and sides to the back.

  2. Spread out the newspaper. Place the T-shirt on top.

  3. Start decorating! If you like, you can practice your designs on the newspaper first.

  4. Let the paint dry. Read the paint bottle to see how long this will take.

  5. Wear your shirt with pride. It is one of a kind!

  The King of Sweden probably eats Swedish meatballs all the time. You should try them, too.

  Ask an adult to help you with this recipe.

  makes about 40 meatballs.

  GET TOGETHER:

  • 1 cup of bread crumbs

  • ⅓ cup of milk

  • a mixing bowl

  • a skillet

  • 1 tablespoon of butter (only if you are also using the onion and garlic)

  • ¼ cup of chopped onion (if you like it)

  • 1 clove of garlic, chopped (if you like it)

  • 1 pound of ground meat (Half beef and half pork is good.)

  • 2 eggs

  • ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg

  • a pinch of salt

  • a pinch of black pepper

  • a baking sheet

  • gravy and noodles (See the recipe on pages 24–25.)

  MAKE YOUR MEATBALLS:

  1. Put the bread crumbs and the milk in the mixing bowl. Let sit about 10 minutes to soften the bread.

  2. Place the skillet over medium heat. Add the butter. Melt it. Put in the onion and garlic. Cook about 3 minutes. Let cool.

  3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

  4. Wash your hands well.

  5. Add the meat, onions, garlic, eggs, and spices to the bowl. Mix everything together with your fingers.

  6. Shape the mixture into balls about the size of golf balls. Place them on the baking sheet.

  7. Bake 12 minutes.

  8. Serve with gravy and noodles (recipe follows).

  Gravy and noodles go well together—and they’re even better with meatballs on top.

  Ask an adult to help you with this recipe.

  makes four big servings.

  GET TOGETHER:

  • water

  • a big pot

  • a skillet

  • 1 tablespoon of butter

  • 3 tablespoons of flour

  • a large spoon

  • 1 cup of canned beef broth

  • 1 cup of sour cream

  • a 1-pound package of egg noodles

  • a colander
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br />   MAKE YOUR GRAVY AND NOODLES:

  1. Add water to the pot until it is about ⅔ full. Place over high heat.

  2. While you are waiting for the water to boil, place the skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt.

  3. Add the flour. Stir until there are no lumps.

  4. Slowly add the broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat. Add the sour cream. Stir constantly until the gravy gets thick. Remove the skillet from the heat.

  5. When the water boils, add the noodles. Read the package to see how long to cook them. Get an adult to drain the noodles.

  6. Divide the noodles among four plates. Spoon on the warm gravy. Add the warm meatballs on top. Spoon on more gravy if you like.

  7. Eat!

  Knock knock!

  Who’s there?

  Sweden.

  Sweden who?

  Sweet and sour chicken is my favorite dish!

  Q: Where are kings usually crowned?

  A: On their heads!

  Q: How do you stop meatballs from drowning?

  A: Put them in gravy boats!

  Q: Why did the troll tell jokes to the mirror?

  A: He wanted to see it crack up.

  Q: Why was herring the easiest dish on the smorgasbord to weigh?

  A: Because it had its own scales!

  Knock knock!

  Who’s there?

  Norway.

  Norway who?

  Norway I’m leaving until you open this door!

  Have you helped solve all

  Nate the Great’s mysteries?

  ❑ Nate the Great: Meet Nate, the great detective, and join him as he uses incredible sleuthing skills to solve his first big case.

  ❑ Nate the Great Goes Undercover: Who—or what—is raiding Oliver’s trash every night? Nate bravely hides out in his friend’s garbage can to catch the smelly crook.

  ❑ Nate the Great and the Lost List: Nate loves pancakes, but who ever heard of cats eating them? Is a strange recipe at the heart of this mystery?

  ❑ Nate the Great and the Phony Clue: Against ferocious cats, hostile adversaries, and a sly phony clue, Nate struggles to prove that he’s still the world’s greatest detective.

  ❑ Nate the Great and the Sticky Case: Nate is stuck with his stickiest case yet as he hunts for his friend Claude’s valuable stegosaurus stamp.

  ❑ Nate the Great and the Missing Key: Nate isn’t afraid to look anywhere—even under the nose of his friend’s ferocious dog, Fang—to solve the case of the missing key.

  ❑ Nate the Great and the Snowy Trail: Nate has his work cut out for him when his friend Rosamond loses the birthday present she was going to give him. How can he find the present when Rosamond won’t even tell him what it is?

  ❑ Nate the Great and the Fishy Prize: The trophy for the Smartest Pet Contest has disappeared! Will Sludge, Nate’s clue-sniffing dog, help solve the case and prove he’s worthy of the prize?

  ❑ Nate the Great Stalks Stupidweed: When his friend Oliver loses his special plant, Nate searches high and low. Who knew a little weed could be so tricky?

  ❑ Nate the Great and the Boring Beach Bag: It’s no relaxing day at the beach for Nate and his trusty dog, Sludge, as they search through sand and surf for signs of a missing beach bag.

  ❑ Nate the Great Goes Down in the Dumps: Nate discovers that the only way to clean up this case is to visit the town dump. Detective work can sure get dirty!

  ❑ Nate the Great and the Halloween Hunt: It’s Halloween, but Nate isn’t trick-or-treating for candy. Can any of the witches, pirates, and robots he meets help him find a missing cat?

  ❑ Nate the Great and the Musical Note: Nate is used to looking for clues, not listening for them! When he gets caught in the middle of a musical riddle, can he hear his way out?

  ❑ Nate the Great and the Stolen Base: It’s not easy to track down a stolen base, and Nate’s hunt leads him to some strange places before he finds himself at bat once more.

  ❑ Nate the Great and the Pillowcase: When a pillowcase goes missing, Nate must venture into the dead of night to search for clues. Everyone sleeps easier knowing Nate the Great is on the case!

  ❑ Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine: Nate hates mushy stuff. But when someone leaves a big heart taped to Sludge’s doghouse, Nate must help his favorite pooch discover his secret admirer.

  ❑ Nate the Great and the Tardy Tortoise: Where did the mysterious green tortoise in Nate’s yard come from? Nate needs all his patience to follow this slow … slow … clue.

  ❑ Nate the Great and the Crunchy Christmas: It’s Christmas, and Fang, Annie’s scary dog, is not feeling jolly. Can Nate find Fang’s crunchy Christmas mail before Fang crunches on him?

  ❑ Nate the Great Saves the King of Sweden: Can Nate solve his first-ever international case without leaving his own neighborhood?

  ❑ Nate the Great and Me: The Case of the Fleeing Fang: A surprise Happy Detective Day party is great fun for Nate until his friend’s dog disappears! Help Nate track down the missing pooch, and learn all the tricks of the trade in a special fun section for aspiring detectives.

  ❑ Nate the Great and the Monster Mess: Nate loves his mother’s deliciously spooky Monster Cookies, but the recipe has vanished! This is one case Nate and his growling stomach can’t afford to lose.

  ❑ Nate the Great, San Francisco Detective: Nate visits his cousin Olivia Sharp in the big city, but it’s no vacation. Can he find a lost joke book in time to save the world?

  ❑ Nate the Great and the Big Sniff: Nate depends on his dog, Sludge, to help him solve all his cases. But Nate is on his own this time, because Sludge has disappeared! Can Nate solve the case and recover his canine buddy?

  ❑ Nate the Great on the Owl Express: Nate boards a train to guard Hoot, his cousin Olivia Sharp’s pet owl. Then Hoot vanishes! Can Nate find out whooo took the feathered creature?

  ❑ Nate the Great Talks Turkey: There’s a turkey on the loose, with Nate, his cousin Olivia Sharp, Sludge, and Claude in hot pursuit. Who will find the runaway bird first?

  ❑ Nate the Great and the Hungry Book Club: Rosamond has started a book club. Nate and his dog, Sludge, attend a meeting as undercover detectives. The case: find out what “monster” has an appetite for ripping book pages and making others go missing.

  MARJORIE WEINMAN SHARMAT was born and grew up in Portland, Maine. She has been writing since age eight and is the author of more than 130 books, which have been translated into nineteen languages. She is probably best known as the creator of the series about the world-famous sleuth Nate the Great.

  MARC SIMONT won the Caldecott Medal for his artwork in A Tree Is Nice by Janice May Udry, as well as a Caldecott Honor for his own book, The Stray Dog. He illustrated the first twenty books in the Nate the Great series. Marc Simont lives in West Cornwall, Connecticut.