The Mystery of the Missing Painting
In Paris, Polly the parrot and Isabelle, a writer, meet Monsieur Dupont, an elderly artist, whose painting mysteriously disappears from his studio. A young boy provides a clue, pointing them toward the Pont des Arts in pursuit of the enigmatic thief.
Before you read
Before you read
In the evening, Isabelle and Polly walked by the Seine River. They felt excited after meeting Monsieur Dupont. He had invited them to his studio near the river. He wanted to show them his new painting of Paris at sunset. The painting was supposed to be beautiful and magical.
When they entered the studio, they were surprised. The easel was empty. The painting was missing. Monsieur Dupont looked very worried. He said, "The painting was here this morning. I went for a short walk. When I came back, it was gone!" Polly, the curious parrot, wanted to help solve the mystery.
Isabelle also wanted to help. She thought someone might have seen something. She looked at the open window. It faced a busy street. Polly flew to the window and looked outside. She saw a young boy watching the studio. He seemed to know something.
Isabelle smiled and asked the boy, "Did you see anything strange today?" The boy paused, then nodded. He was excited to be part of the mystery. "Yes, madame," he said. "I saw a man in black clothes. He carried a canvas. He went toward the Pont des Arts."
Isabelle and Polly thanked the boy. They felt determined to find the painting. The city lights started to shine like stars. They walked toward the bridge, hoping to solve the mystery before it was too late.
That's the story.
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