Let me work through this mystery step by step to figure out who ate the cookies.
Step 1: Look at what we know from the story
- Mrs. Baker made chocolate chip cookies and put them on the kitchen counter
- She told her three children (Ben, Emily, and Sam) "No cookies until after dinner!"
- She went to the garden to pick vegetables
- When she came back, the cookies were gone
- The children were in the living room with crumbs around their mouths
Step 2: Look at what each child said
- Ben said he was too busy reading a book
- Emily said she was playing with her dolls
- Sam said he was drawing a picture
Step 3: Look for clues
The key clue is that ALL THREE children had crumbs around their mouths when Mrs. Baker found them in the living room. This means they all ate something that left crumbs.
Step 4: Think about it logically
- If only one child ate the cookies, only that child would have cookie crumbs
- But ALL three children had crumbs around their mouths
- They all claimed to be doing different activities (reading, playing with dolls, drawing)
- Yet they were all together in the living room with evidence (crumbs) that they ate cookies
Step 5: Draw a conclusion
Since all three children had cookie crumbs around their mouths, this tells us that all three of them ate the cookies. They tried to blame it on being busy with other activities, but the crumbs prove they all ate the cookies.
Final Answer: All three children (Ben, Emily, and Sam) ate the cookies together.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of free fourth grade reading worksheet.
