The Hiccups That Saved Us
Detective Harper leaned back in his chair, staring at the screen showing the museum’s empty gallery. The Jewel of Lumeria had been stolen in the dead of night, and the footage from the security cameras revealed nothing. “Not even a shadow,” he muttered. The guards were clueless, and the police had no leads.
Meanwhile, across town, 12-year-old Max was struggling with his own mystery: a stubborn case of hiccups that wouldn’t go away. “Max, you sound like a frog,” his sister Ellie teased as he hiccupped for the hundredth time.
“I’ve tried everything,” Max grumbled. “Holding my breath, drinking water upside down—nothing works!”
Before Ellie could suggest another remedy, their mom turned on the news. A reporter stood outside the Lumeria Museum, explaining the bizarre disappearance of the priceless jewel. Ellie’s eyes lit up. “Let’s go check it out!”
“What? We can’t just walk into a crime scene,” Max said.
“We’re not walking in; we’re investigating,” Ellie said, grabbing his arm. “Come on, Sherlock Hiccups!”
At the museum, Max and Ellie blended into the crowd of curious onlookers. The security room door was ajar, and Ellie’s curiosity got the better of her. “Let’s take a peek,” she whispered, dragging Max along.
Inside, they found the room empty. Ellie started scrolling through the footage while Max tried to stop hiccupping. Suddenly, on the screen, a faint shadow flickered. “Did you see that?” Ellie asked.
“Nope, hiccuped,” Max said. But when he hiccupped again, the shadow reappeared.
Ellie froze. “Your hiccups are doing something to the video!”
Sure enough, every time Max hiccupped, the cameras picked up faint traces of movement. A figure in a cloaking suit appeared, carrying a small bag. Ellie rewound the footage, confirming their discovery. “Max, your hiccups just cracked the case!”
The siblings hurried to Detective Harper. At first, he was skeptical, but when Max hiccupped in front of the footage, Harper’s jaw dropped. The thief’s cloaking suit was malfunctioning just enough to be detected by sound vibrations. “Well, I’ll be,” Harper said. “You kids just solved the mystery!”
Later that evening, the Jewel of Lumeria was recovered, and the thief was arrested. The mayor gave Max and Ellie a medal of honor, calling them “the most unexpected detectives in town.”
Max grinned. “So, hiccups aren’t so bad after all,” he said.
Ellie smirked. “Don’t get any ideas, Sherlock. One case is enough.”
Phrasal Verbs & Example Sentences
Lean back – To recline in a chair.
Example: “Detective Harper leaned back in his chair, puzzled by the footage.”
Blend into – To become part of a group or environment.
Example: “Max and Ellie blended into the crowd of onlookers.”
Pick up – To detect or notice something.
Example: “The cameras picked up faint traces of movement.”
Rewind – To move a recording backward.
Example: “Ellie rewound the footage to confirm their discovery.”
Crack the case – To solve a mystery.
Example: “Max’s hiccups helped them crack the case.”
Phrasal Verbs
Fill in the Blank with Phrasal Verbs
Detective Harper ________ in his chair, deep in thought.
Max and Ellie managed to ________ the crowd outside the museum.
The cameras ________ a shadow only when Max hiccupped.
Ellie ________ the footage to double-check what they saw.
Max’s hiccups ultimately helped them ________.
Answers: Phrasal Verbs
Leaned back
Blend into
Picked up
Rewound
Crack the case
Idioms & Example Sentences
Sherlock Hiccups – A playful take on being a detective.
Example: “Ellie called Max ‘Sherlock Hiccups’ as they investigated the museum.”
Caught red-handed – To catch someone in the act of committing a crime.
Example: “The thief was caught red-handed thanks to the hiccups.”
Piece it together – To figure out something by assembling clues.
Example: “Ellie pieced together the evidence from the footage.”
A stroke of luck – A fortunate, unexpected event.
Example: “It was a stroke of luck that Max’s hiccups revealed the thief.”
Blow the case wide open – To uncover critical information in an investigation.
Example: “Max’s hiccups blew the case wide open.”
Idiom Quiz
Fill in the Blank with Idioms
Ellie joked that Max was ________ while they investigated.
The thief was ________ when the police arrived at his hideout.
Ellie managed to ________ by analyzing the video footage.
Max’s hiccups were ________ for the police.
The new discovery ________, leading to the thief’s capture.
Answers: Idioms
Sherlock Hiccups
Caught red-handed
Piece it together
A stroke of luck
Blew the case wide open
Multiple-Choice Questions
Circle the correct answer.
What was the mystery at the museum?
a. A painting was stolen.
b. The Jewel of Lumeria disappeared.
c. A guard went missing.
d. A power outage occurred.What was unusual about Max during the story?
a. He couldn’t stop sneezing.
b. He had a stubborn case of hiccups.
c. He kept falling asleep.
d. He was afraid of the dark.How did Max and Ellie discover the thief?
a. They found fingerprints.
b. Max’s hiccups revealed movement on the cameras.
c. They overheard the thief’s confession.
d. The thief left a note.Why did Ellie call Max “Sherlock Hiccups”?
a. He wore a detective hat.
b. His hiccups helped solve the case.
c. He loved mystery novels.
d. He was pretending to be a detective.What did the thief use to avoid detection?
a. A cloaking suit.
b. A secret tunnel.
c. A fake identity.
d. A hidden camera.What malfunctioned in the thief’s plan?
a. His hiding place was too obvious.
b. His cloaking suit reacted to sound vibrations.
c. He dropped the jewel.
d. He left footprints.What did Detective Harper think of Max and Ellie’s discovery?
a. He was impressed.
b. He ignored them.
c. He doubted them at first.
d. Both a and c.How was the thief caught?
a. By following his trail.
b. By using the hiccup footage as evidence.
c. By staking out the museum.
d. By a tip from a witness.What recognition did Max and Ellie receive?
a. A medal of honor.
b. A reward of money.
c. A day named after them.
d. A spot on the news.What was Max’s attitude about his hiccups after solving the case?
a. Embarrassed.
b. Proud.
c. Annoyed.
d. Indifferent.
Answers: Multiple-Choice Questions
b - The Jewel of Lumeria disappeared.
b - He had a stubborn case of hiccups.
b - Max’s hiccups revealed movement on the cameras.
b - His hiccups helped solve the case.
a - A cloaking suit.
b - His cloaking suit reacted to sound vibrations.
d - Both a and c.
b - By using the hiccup footage as evidence.
a - A medal of honor.
b - Proud.
Thought-Provoking Question
Do you think Max and Ellie’s involvement in the case was purely luck, or did their curiosity and determination play a bigger role?
Why?