The Midnight Foxes

“For finding Holly?” Tiger said.

“No, but it might be a strange scientific discovery instead.”

Tiger and Tom peered at the moony-coloured shape through the magnifier.

Tom dug away more earth with his pencil and they stared at each other with wide eyes. What Tom had found felt cool and smooth, rounded at one end and pointier at the other. It was an egg. They were sure that birds laid eggs in nests, but this one seemed to have grown in the ground!

“We might have another case already,” said Tom.

Together they walked slowly back to the house, with Tiger holding the egg carefully in her hands.

May Days climbed down from the scaffolding as the builders were ready to pack up for the day and go home.

“Oh,” she said, seeing the egg. “Is it time for tea, detectives?”

The children explained where they’d found the egg and they all went to the kitchen. Tiger and Tom stared at the evidence, now nestled on the table in a towel to stop it rolling away. They examined it all over with the magnifying glass, but there were no more clues or paw prints.

May Days suggested the children write down a list of animals that they knew laid eggs. Tiger was impressed with Tom’s confident guesses.

May Days went through the list and Tiger crossed off the wrong guesses and made some notes.

“If it was a chicken egg from the shops, it would have a little lion and date printed on it,” said May Days. “But I declare that it is definitely a chicken egg.”