Nate the Great Talks Turkey Read online

  He kept looking at the turkey.

  “This turkey belongs to somebody else,”

  I said. “However, you might be able

  to rent him. Check with Rosamond.”

  I dusted off my boa

  before I got back into the limo.

  Then I relaxed in the seat

  and sipped orange juice

  and ate cheese and crackers.

  I took off my shoes and wiggled my toes.

  It felt good.

  I was ready to resume my hunt.

  I needed to find that turkey.

  I really, really like birds.

  Not only do I own an owl,

  but I have also owned a turkey

  and some other feathered creatures.

  I definitely know turkeys well.

  That’s why I know I’ll find this one.

  After all, I’m a detective

  and I deal with a lot of secrets.

  But now I had to think

  about a turkey’s secrets.

  Get into his mind.

  How much was really going on in there?

  I’d read that there are vast empty spaces

  in a turkey’s brain.

  I’d also heard that

  there are small empty spaces in there.

  Nothing I couldn’t handle.

  I settled back in my seat.

  “Onward, Willie!”

  Sludge and I walked home.

  I turned on the television

  to check on the famous turkey.

  I hoped Olivia would be the one

  to find him.

  But he was still missing.

  A reporter was making an announcement.

  “Anyone who has seen or knows the

  whereabouts of this turkey,

  please call 555-0330.”

  I turned off the television.

  Sludge and I went into the kitchen.

  I made pancakes and gave Sludge

  another bone.

  I liked having him there while I ate.

  I thought about the turkeys.

  Two turkeys missing

  at the same time

  in the same town.

  Two very big turkeys

  missing at the same time

  in the same town.

  What seemed logical?

  Only one turkey was missing.

  That’s what I had thought.

  That’s what Olivia had thought.

  But sometimes when everything

  seems to fit,

  you still have to look for what doesn’t fit.

  In this case, it was feathers.

  Sludge and I finished eating.

  We left the kitchen.

  I turned the television set back on.

  And there was Olivia on the screen,

  staring me in the face!

  Olivia was sitting on top of a limo

  and the famous turkey was beside her.

  The turkey looked happy,

  stuffed and groggy.

  A reporter came on the screen.

  A man was standing next to her.

  I knew that man.

  The reporter said, “I have here Mr. Lowell

  from Lowell’s Feed and Pet Supply Store.

  Mr. Lowell, is it true that Olivia Sharp,

  presently sitting on the limo behind us,

  walked into your store and purchased

  $1,864.74 worth of turkey food?”

  Mr. Lowell gave a sly grin. Then he said,

  “We never, ever give out private information

  to anyone about our customers.”

  Mr. Lowell looked proud.

  I, Nate the Great, rolled my eyes.

  Then the reporter turned to Olivia.

  “And now here we have Olivia Sharp of

  San Francisco, who, with the help of her

  chauffeur, Willie, caught the turkey that

  has been driving this town crazy.

  Olivia, is it true that you rode around in

  this limo while you sprinkled three hundred

  pounds of turkey food in special places

  that you knew would attract a turkey?

  And then, after only ten minutes,

  you found the turkey greedily

  gobbling away?”

  Olivia flipped her boa.

  It looked clean on television.

  Then she said, “That is a professional

  secret. I used my great knowledge of birds

  and what they like. But I can say this: I took

  this turkey on as my client. I did what I knew

  was best for him. He was hungry and he was

  hiding out. That is not a good lifestyle for a

  turkey. Now he has a full stomach and a

  great future.”

  Two hours later

  Olivia knocked on my door.

  I opened it.

  “Turkey-hunting season is over,” she said.

  “Case closed.”

  I looked over Olivia’s shoulder.

  “I, Nate the Great, say there are

  some cases that never close.”

  Nate’s Notes: Turkeys

  Nate’s Notes: Parts of a Turkey

  Funny Pages

  Talking Turkey with a Very Good Gobbler

  Q: Why was the turkey sent to the principal’s office?

  A: He was using fowl language.

  Q: Why do turkeys gobble?

  A: Nobody taught them good table manners.

  Q: How do turkeys get clean?

  A: They use feather dusters.

  Q: Which side of the turkey has the most feathers?

  A: The outside!

  Doctor, Doctor, I can’t stop acting like a turkey!

  How long have you had this problem?

  Ever since I was an egg!

  Q: What do turkeys like to eat on Thanksgiving?

  A: Nothing. They’re already stuffed!

  Q: How are a turkey, a monkey, and a donkey the same?

  A: They all have keys!

  Q: What happened to the turkey whose feathers grew the wrong way?

  A: He was tickled to death!

  Q: What do you get when you cross a turkey with a centipede?

  A: Drumsticks for everyone!

  Q: Why did the turkey cross the road?

  A: To show he wasn’t chicken.

  Meet Christopher Parrish, who lives in the Missouri countryside. Chris may be the best turkey caller in the world. You might say he speaks fluent turkey. He has won first place in more than fifty turkey-calling contests. When he’s not competing, he designs mechanical turkey calls. The calls are tools that let the rest of us sound like turkeys, too.

  Q: How much do you practice?

  A: I call at least two days a week. When a competition is coming up, I practice every day. I also spend time in the woods listening to wild turkeys. That helps me get the rhythm of the calls just right.

  Q: How many different calls can you make?

  A: Turkeys have a very intense language. They make thirty-one different calls. Only twenty calls are required in competition, but I can make all thirty-one.

  Q: Are the calls of toms and hens different?

  A: Yes! Only the toms gobble. Hens yelp, purr, and cluck. Also, the toms’ voices are slower and deeper.

  Q: Are the calls different during different seasons?

  A: Sure. Toms only gobble in the spring. It’s their way of attracting hens.

  You can hear Chris do his calls! Visit him at www.natethegreatbooks.com.

  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.

  MITCHELL SHARMAT was a native of Brookline, Massachusetts, and a graduate of Harvard University. He wrote numerous picture books, easy readers, and novels, and was a contributor to textbook reading programs. His wildly popular Gregory, the Terrible Eater, a Reading Rainbow Feature Selection, has become a children’s classic.

  JODY WHEELER developed a greater than average interest in children’s books at an early age, having been influenced and encouraged by her great-aunt Opal Wheeler, a prolific writer of books for young readers in the 1950s. Since being trained as a fine artist and educator, Ms. Wheeler has enjoyed working on a variety of projects ranging from picture books to educational texts and magazines, and from greeting cards to coloring books. Jody Wheeler divides her time between Manhattan and Siesta Key, Florida.