Brad's speckled bedtime story for tonight.

I've already commented on what a weird week it's been. But rather than wallow in the muck tonight, I'm thinking we all need something a little more soothing. So I've decided to tell you all a bedtime story. So put on your jammies, brush your teeth, get a drink, and tuck yourself in, 'cause it's time to hear a story about our good friend Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

Once upon a time, Sherlock Holmes and his friend Johnny Watson were all snug in their beds, just like you are now, when a knock came on their door!

The nice lady, Mrs. Hudson, heard the knock and went out to see who it was. And do you know who it was? A shivery girl named Helen Stoner!

Well, Mrs. Hudson, nice lady that she is, brought Helen Stoner in to sit on a chair and gave her a mug of hot cocoa. Then she got another mug of hot cocoa and went into Sherlock's room, and ever-so-gently nudged his shoulder. Well, Sherlock, being the sort of fellow that pays attention to everything, had already smelled the cocoa, and had started to wake up. Mrs. Hudson told him about the shivery girl and went to get more cocoa for Johnny Watson.

Sherlock went in to wake Johnny up, because he knew his friend would rather here about a girl coming to visit than have cocoa when he woke up. But Johnny thought that the house was on fire before Sherlock could tell him! Lucky for them, Johnny didn't get too excited about things like the house being on fire, so he didn't run out of the house right away like you or I might have done, or even spill Sherlock's cocoa.

Sherlock and Johnny went out to where Helen was sitting and introduced themselves, Sherlock making himself look as smart as he could, so Helen knew she came to the right place.

Helen told Sherlock and Johnny what had happened to her identical twin sister Julia Stoner.

One dark and stormy night, the howling wind was keeping Helen from staying fast asleep. She had her own room and her sister Julia had a room of her own, too, so Helen didn't know if Julia was awake as well, until she suddenly heard a very loud "Eeek!" from her sister's room.

Helen went down the hall to see what was the matter, and Julia came running out of her room yelling, "Somebody put a speckled band on my head! Somebody put a speckled band on my head!" Julia ran down the hall, and down the stairs, and out the front door, and nobody ever saw her again!

"Did she have her regular clothes on?" Sherlock Holmes asked Julia, since a person planning on leaving the house puts their regular clothes on, instead of wearing their pajamas.

"Did your sister have a boyfriend?" Johnny Watson asked Helen, because Johnny liked to know those things.

"No and yes," Helen replied. "And I have a boyfriend now, too!"

Sherlock Holmes asked Helen who else lived in her house.

"A cheetah, a baboon, a housekeeper, some gypsies who camp in the yard, and a Grimesby Roylott. And here he comes now!"

Grimesby Roylott, who was a great big man with a big black hat and a bird-face, came running into the room shouting bad names at Sherlock Holmes.

"I'm going to bend your fireplace poker!" Grimesby then told Sherlock, and he did.

"I'll bend it back," Sherlock Holmes told Grimesby, and HE did.

Then Sherlock Holmes pushed the fireplace poker back at Grimesby's chest, and a speckled snake, that had been in Grimesby's pocket the whole time, got scared and came out of Grimesby's pocket.

The speckled snake slithered up Grimesby's shoulder to get away from the fireplace poker, and up over Grimesby's left ear, and then wrapped itself around Grimesby's big black hat.

"Behold, a speckled band on his head!" Sherlock Holmes announced.

And Grimesby Roylott ran out of the house and was never seen again.

The nice lady, Mrs. Hudson, made a big breakfast for everyone, and Julia Stoner, who was passing by in her pajamas, smelled the breakfast and came in to see if she could have some, too. Julia and Helen hugged and called their boyfriends and got married that very day.

So Sherlock Holmes and Johnny Watson solved another mysterious case. The End.

Goodnight, everybody! Sleep well and have happy dreams!