One sunny day at Maple Grove School, young Sherlock Holmes sat on a bench, watching kids play at recess. His gray eyes sparkled as he wrote notes in his trusty notebook. Then Sally, a small girl with pigtails, ran up to him crying. "Sherlock! Help! The swings are gone!" she said. Sherlock jumped up. His magnifying glass bounced on its leather cord. "Gone? All of them?" he asked. "Yes! And the slide too!" said Sally. Sherlock tapped his knee, thinking hard. This was a big case! "When did you last see them?" he asked. "Yesterday after school," said Sally. Sherlock had two ideas. He could look for clues near where the swings used to be, or he could ask the crossing guard who watches the school at night if they saw anything.
Sherlock nodded and headed to the front of the school. Mr. Green, the crossing guard, stood at his usual spot with his bright orange vest. "Good morning, Mr. Green!" said Sherlock. "Did you see anything strange last night?" Mr. Green rubbed his chin. "Well, now that you ask... I did hear some odd noises after dark. Like wheels rolling on the sidewalk." Sherlock wrote this in his notebook. His eyes lit up with interest. "What time was this?" he asked. "Around eight o'clock," said Mr. Green. "And I saw a big truck parked by the playground. But it was too dark to see much else." Sherlock tapped his knee, thinking about this new information. He had two choices now. He could follow the tire tracks that might still be visible on the ground, or he could check if any other schools had their playground equipment taken too.
Sherlock thanked Mr. Green and pulled out his small cell phone. He called his friend Tommy who went to Pine Street School. "Tommy, do you still have your playground equipment?" asked Sherlock. "No!" said Tommy. "It's all gone today! The principal said someone took it in the night!" Sherlock wrote this down. His hand moved fast across the page. "Was there a truck?" he asked. "Yes! A big blue one!" said Tommy. Sherlock's eyes got wide. This was the same kind of thing that happened at his school! He called Oak Lane School next. They said the same thing - playground gone, blue truck seen at night. Sherlock looked at his notes. Three schools had lost their playground equipment. All on the same night. All with a blue truck. He tapped his knee, thinking hard. This was no random theft. Someone was taking ALL the playground equipment in town!
Sherlock rushed to Oak Lane School since it was the last place the blue truck had been seen. His boots got muddy as he searched the ground near their empty playground. "Aha!" he said, finding deep tire tracks in the dirt. The tracks were fresh and very wide - perfect for a big truck. He followed the marks carefully, writing down every turn in his notebook. The tracks led away from the school, down Pine Street, and toward the old warehouse district. The tire marks stopped at a huge blue building with a sign that read "Fun Times Rentals." Through a big window, Sherlock could see piles of slides, swings, and other playground equipment inside! His heart beat faster. He had found the missing playground pieces! But something seemed strange. Why would someone take playground equipment just to store it in a warehouse? Sherlock crept closer and heard voices inside. Through another window, he saw two people in work uniforms looking at papers. "All the old equipment is collected," one said. "Now we can start delivering the new, safer playground sets tomorrow morning!" Sherlock's eyes widened. This wasn't a theft at all - it was a surprise replacement project!
Sherlock smiled and pulled out his phone. He called Sally right away. "Sally! The playground equipment isn't stolen - it's being replaced!" he said. "Brand new swings and slides are coming tomorrow!" "Really?" Sally squealed with joy. "That's wonderful!" The next morning, Sherlock came to school early. He watched as shiny new swings, slides, and climbing frames were set up. Everything was colorful and bright. At recess, all the kids ran out to play on their new playground. Sally gave Sherlock a big hug. "Thank you for solving the mystery!" she said. Sherlock grinned, his gray eyes sparkling as he watched his friends enjoy the new equipment. He pulled out his notebook and wrote one last note: "Case closed!"
