Yo, Ho — Oh, No!

“Why would a pirate want a parrot anyway? ” Mari asked as they chased Captain Hook down the hall.

“So he can repeat directions to buried treasure! ” George said. “Duh! ”

Captain Hook’s cape fluttered as he raced around a corner. The girls skidded around the corner, too.

Captain Hook glanced back before slipping through a door. The girls slowed down. Hanging on the door was a sign that read THE JOLLY JELLYFISH — DANGER!

“I don’t like that word, ” Bess said.

“Me neither.” Mari shivered. “I was once stung by a jellyfish.”

“Not that! ” Bess said. “I don’t like the word danger! ”

“Neither do I, ” Katie said. “But I have to get Lester back once and for all.”

Katie pushed the door open. The girls peeked inside. When Nancy didn’t see the pirate, she waved everyone into the room.

“Where are we? ” Bess whispered.

Amara pointed to a big black and white flag hanging against a wall. “We’re inside the Jolly Jellyfish, ” she declared.

Nancy knew it was just another room, but it really did look like a pirate ship.

Instead of windows there were portholes. Nets hung from the ceiling. Treasure maps were strewn over the floor. But there was no Captain Hook!

“Looks like the captain jumped ship, ” Amara said.

“Great, ” Mari muttered. “Now I’ll never get his picture! ”

“And I’ll never get Lester! ” Katie moaned.

“You guys! ” George interrupted. “Check it out.”

Nancy turned to George. She was dragging a medium-size chest to the middle of the room. Nancy thought it looked like a treasure chest.

“It must be Captain Hook’s treasure chest, ” Mari said.

“Don’t open it! ” Bess cried. “You know what Captain Hook did to Tiger Lily — he tied her up! ”

“Bess, this is make believe, ” Amara said. “I… hope.”

George lifted the lid. Nancy and her friends stared inside. It was filled with colorful plastic rings and bracelets!

“Awesome! ” Mari cried. She slipped a bright green ring on her finger.

Amara pulled out a note and read it out loud: “Treasure your sleepover. Luv, Aunt Ellen! ”

The girls had fun putting on the rings and bracelets.

“Purple and pink are my favorite colors! ” Nancy exclaimed. “They match my —“

Creeeeeeak!

Nancy looked up. She saw a net sagging down from the ceiling.

The girls jumped up. It was too late. The net fell down over all of them!

“We’re trapped! ” Bess cried, tearing at the net. “Get ready to walk the plank! ”

Through the net Nancy saw Captain Hook — stepping out from behind the Jolly Jellyfish flag!

“Ahoy! ” the pirate snarled. “Thought you could steal my swag, arrrgh? ”

The parrot on his shoulder squawked. Its head spun around and around.

“Who’s a pretty bird? ” it squawked. “Who’s a pretty bird? Arrrk! ”

Since when does Lester wear an eye patch? ” George whispered under the net.

“He doesn’t, ” Katie whispered. “And his head doesn’t spin like that either! ”

The pirate used his hook-hand to flick a switch on the wall. The net slowly began to rise.

When the girls were free, Nancy studied the parrot. It looked more like some kind of robot.

“That’s not Lester, ” Nancy said. “That parrot isn’t even real! ”

“Neither is your jewelry! ” the parrot joked. “Har, har, har! Arrrk! ”

Captain Hook leaned over and whispered. “Aye — Sophie is mechanical, ” he said. “But don’t let her hear that.”

“Why? ” Mari laughed. “Does she think she’s a real parrot? ”

“No, ” Captain Hook said. “A real chicken! ”

“Cluck, cluck! ” Sophie screeched.

Everyone giggled except Katie. Nancy couldn’t blame her. The parrot she hoped was Lester was just a fake.

“You’re not going to take our jewelry, are you? ” Bess asked Captain Hook.

“Shiver me timbers! ” The pirate laughed. He held up his hook-hand. “Does this look like a hand that wears rings? ”

The girls giggled.

“Besides, ” Captain Hook said, “there’s an old pirate saying about finding buried treas-arrrgh! ”

“What? ” Nancy asked.

The pirate kicked up his heels and began to dance. “Finders keepers losers weepers! ” he sang. “Arrrgh! ”

Nancy was happy that the pirate was nice. But she still had some questions.

“Captain Hook, ” she said, “do you know if anyone in the house is doing weird things? ”

“Everyone in this house is weird, ” Captain Hook answered. “What do you mean? ”

Nancy was about to explain when — Splash! Water began gushing through the portholes into the room. And all over them!

“We’re sailin’ into a storm! ” Captain Hook shouted. “Lower the sail! Close the cannon ports! Batten down the hatches! ”

“You do that, ” George told the pirate. “I’m outta here! ”

“Arrk! Cluck, cluck! ” squawked Sophie.

Nancy’s reddish blond bangs were soaked. She turned and reached for the doorknob. There she saw another spider!

What do all these spider stickers mean? Nancy wondered as they ran out.

Once in the hall, George turned to Amara. “Don’t tell me, let me guess, ” she said. “That never happened before either.”

“No, ” Amara said. “And if you ask me, Captain Hook looked pretty surprised, too.”

Mari, George, and Katie sat on the staircase. Nancy, Amara, and Bess leaned on the banister.

“What do we do now? ” Amara asked.

Nancy saw a phone hanging on the wall. It gave her an idea. “I know! ” Nancy said. “I’ll call my dad. He’s a lawyer and he always helps me with my cases.”

“Good idea, ” George said.

But when Nancy placed the receiver against her ear, she heard a strange, deep laugh: “Mwah, hah, hah, haaaa! ”

Nancy gulped and hung up. “Or maybe I’ll solve this case all by myself.”

Katie slumped back on a stair. “I can’t believe this is happening! ” she said. “I can’t believe Lester is missing! ”

“Don’t look now, ” George said. “But someone else is missing.”

“Who? ” Mari asked.

“Bess! ” George replied.

“Bess? ” Nancy gasped.

Her eyes darted around for her friend. George was right. Bess was gone!