Treasure under the Palm Tree

Part 3

 "Come on Marcy!" Joseph shouted as he ran to the pier. "I'll beat you to the end of the pier!" "Alright! Alright!" Marcia said coming up beside her brother. "We'll start here and make it a fair race. Okay?" "Alright..." Joseph agreed. "David? Will you race too?" "Sure..." David said. "But I might beat you all. After all, I'm the eldest boy." "That doesn't mean you're the fastest!" exclaimed Marcia, "I'm your twin and he's 11!" "Okay." David responded. "Fine with me, if it's fine with you." "Great!" Joseph said. "Now let's start. Mama and Papa will catch up." "Papa?" Marcia asked. "Will you say GO please?" "Of course, Marcy." Papa said. "Alright. On the count of three, Okay?" "Okay!" The children replied in unison. "1...2...3..."Papa counted, "GO!" The children took off, running down the pier. Joseph dodged a woman with two children. "My!" said the woman. "My, My, My! What ever do those kids think they are doing?" "I won!" Joseph said. "I touched the edge before Ya'll did!" "You sure did Joseph." David said. "Didn't know you were that fast though. If I had known, I wouldn't have raced you." "Oh, David!" exclaimed Joseph, "Don't be silly. You might have won. I just happened to practice running all of last week." "What!!!" exclaimed Marcia and David at the same time. "Yup!" Joseph said. "All of last week. Every night when you guys were watching a movie that I couldn't." "Wow! I'm surprised in you Joseph." Marcia said. "Every night? Wow! Wow!" Just then Mama and Papa walked up. "Hi" Mama said. "Ready to fish Joseph?" "Yes ma'am!" Joseph said whole heartily. "Ready as I'll ever be!" "I'm ready also, Mama." said Marcia, walking towards her mother. Suddenly she tripped on a board. "Ouch!" she exclaimed, as she fell to her knees. "Hey! What's this?" Marcia stood up holding a small piece of square paper. "What is that?" David leaned over, Joseph right behind him. "It's a piece of paper..." Mama said. "Yes! It's a piece of paper Caroline." Papa said to Mama, with a puzzled look on his face. "Turn it over Marcy!" Joseph said. "Look!" Marcia almost shouted. "It has writing on the back!" "So, it does!" Papa agreed bending over to get a closer look. David straightened up and said, "Well sis? You gonna read it to us?" "Yes..." Marcia said. "It says "Under the Palm is a treasure that will calm all greedy hearts." Does that mean there is treasure under a palm tree?" Marcia asked. "I would think so." Her twin answered. "But..." Mama started hesitantly, "There are so many palm trees. How will we know which one to dig under?" "We don't." David said. David loved mysteries. And here was one he and his siblings could solve! "Seven Palm Trees!" Joseph piped up suddenly. "What about palm trees?" David asked. He had been deep in thought. "There are seven palm trees by the pier." Joseph answered. "Oh, great!" groaned Marcia, "We're going to have to dig under all seven trees?" "Well..." Papa said. "We don't necessarily have to." "We don't?" interrupted Joseph. "We would, of course" Papa continued, "have to dig under everyone till we find the treasure, but what if we find it at the second one instead of the third?" "I think we should dig." David said seriously. "I really want to find this treasure. Whenever a mystery pops up, I'm at it!" "I agree with David!" said Marcia. "I do to!" Joseph echoed. "Well then," Mama said, glad that that was settled "Which do you want to do first? Go fishing or dig?" "Go fishing!" The children cried. "Definitely go fishing Mama!" Joseph exclaimed. "Besides," Papa added. "I will have to obtain permission to dig. So, let's have this day be a fishing day!" "Yes sir!" Joseph said as he scooped up the tackle box that Papa had been carrying.