3. Aliens Have Three Toes

3 Aliens Have Three Toes "This doesn't prove a spaceship landed here," Brian said. "Anything could have made this circle." "Like what?" Nate asked. "Um, like kids fooling around on bikes?" Brian offered. "Then where are the bike tracks?" Bradley asked. There were no bike tracks. Just one perfect circle in the snow.

"What are these funny marks?" Lucy asked. She pointed to a trail of prints. Each print left three small dents in the snow. They led toward the barn. "Look, there are others, too!" said Bradley. These were bigger, the size of pancakes. "Those look like Polly's hoofprints," Brian said. "We'd better go check on her." The kids ran to the barn. Bradley was the first one inside. He flipped on the light switch. Polly's stall was empty. "She's gone!" Bradley said. Her fresh straw was there. Her feed and water buckets were full. But Polly the pony was nowhere to be seen. "Hey, where are Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose?" asked Nate. "Maybe they took Polly for a walk," Lucy suggested to her friends.

Bradley ran to the barn door. "There are no other footprints in the snow," he called. "Just Polly's and those funny pointy ones." "They must have gone back in the house," Brian said. "Let's go check." "Bri, they wouldn't take Polly in the house," Bradley said. "Besides, the only footprints are ours. And they're coming from the house, not to the house." "Well, I'm checking inside anyway," Brian said. "Kids don't just disappear." The four kids clumped back up the porch steps. They stomped the snow off their boots. Brian

shoved open the door. "Josh?" he yelled. There was no answer. The house was silent. No TV noise, no computer sounds, no video game beeps. "Where are they?" Nate whispered. "This is very, very weird," Lucy said. "They've been taken by the aliens!" Bradley whispered. Nate giggled. "Let's try upstairs," Brian said. "I'll bet they're just hiding." The kids tugged off their boots and followed Brian. The first room was Josh's. The door was closed. A sign on the door said: NO HUMANS ALLOWED. "Josh, are you in there?" Bradley called. No answer. Brian knocked on the door, then pushed it open.

"Oh my goodness!" Lucy said. "A burglar has been here! Josh's stuff is all messed up!" The bed was unmade. Clothes were all over the floor. "This is how he always keeps his room," Bradley said. "Josh's computer is on," Brian said. He walked over to his big brother's desk. "He was on a Web site about UFOs!" Nate said. Lucy picked up a paper from the tray of the printer. "Uh-oh," she said. "What?" Brian asked. Lucy handed him the paper. The others gathered around to read what Josh had printed: Scientists feel that space aliens have landed on Earth. In China, sixteen children have disappeared. In France, farm animals have vanished. In each case, a large circle was found on the ground. Small, three-pointed footprints

were found near the scenes as well. Dr. Barney Piper is a well-known expert on space. He was asked what he thinks of these strange occurrences: "I have always known there was life on other planets," Dr. Piper stated. "I think these aliens have run out of food. It is my belief that they are hungry and coming to Earth. They are taking our children and animals back into space to their home planet." Bradley poked his brother. "That's what I saw last night," he whispered. "The aliens were stealing Polly!"