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Dorothea Graham Jensen
a book bubble about
The Riddle of Penncroft Farm
Children's Books
Author Insight
Riddle
I found the name of this antique farm implement in a huge old book called PENNSYLVANIA AGRICULTURE AND COUNTRY LIFE 1640-1840. As an inveterate punster, I had no choice: I absolutely HAD to use RIDDLE in my book, and to put it in the title as a wordplay. Some might even call it a riddle. The word RIDDLE has survived only in phrases such as "riddled with bullets" etc. In addition, the grate that is shaken to remove ashes from a coal stove is called a riddle, so someone can "riddle the ashes". This use is not in most people's vocabularies these days, however.
Book Excerpt
The Riddle of Penncroft Farm
“Swell. How can I clean this place if I can’t see what I’m doing?” I asked, wasting good sarcasm on an empty barn. Moving gingerly along the wall, I touched a large, round, metallic object that felt nothing like a light switch. It clattered to the floor. I slid my foot around until I found it, then carried it across to the door for a closer look. It was a flat metal sieve, covered with cobwebs, red with rust, and bigger than any sieve I’d ever seen.
Perplexed, I murmured, “I’d hate to have to eat any macaroni that was strained in this . . . this . . . whatever it is!”
“’Tis a riddle,” said a voice in my ear.
I whirled around. It was the kid I’d met at the bridge.
“Why, you’re still dressed up as Washington!” I exclaimed.
The boy’s bright blue eyes crinkled with amusement. “’Tis my only costume. My mother had little time to make me fancy duds.”
“I know what you mean. My mom’s never been much for sewing, either,” I said, relieved to have some common ground with this guy. “She’d rather spend her spare time reading.”
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