In a curious little nook of the world, where the sunbeams danced and the shadows played, a question flitted through the air like a butterfly: “Is that a paper plane? Is that a pencil? Is it an eraser, perhaps?” But lo! A voice rang out, clear and bright, “Nay, my friends. That’s Elementary Man!”

Now, many moons ago, our dear Elementary Man, with a twinkle in his eye and a mind as sharp as a tack, decided to embark upon a most daring adventure—the wild and wondrous world of crime solving! Ever since that fateful day, he has been hailed as a detective of great renown, wielding the mighty sword of elementary logic to vanquish the most perplexing puzzles.

One fine day, while he was diligently practicing his multiplication tables—one, two, three, and so forth—his trusty satellite phone rang with a most alarming clamor! “What!” he exclaimed, his eyes wide as saucers. “What a shocker that is! I shall be there before I can even count to ten!” With a hearty gulp of his mashed potatoes, he hopped upon his tricycle, pedaling away with the speed of a startled hare.

In the quaint little town of bakers known as Simpletums, the annual Bake-Off was the talk of the town, a splendid spectacle where the finest muffins would vie for the coveted prize—a basket brimming with golden delights! But alas! On the day of the grand competition, calamity struck: the muffins had vanished into thin air!

 

Thus, our very own Elementary Man, a towering intellect with a flair for unraveling the oddest of crimes in the simplest of ways, was summoned to the scene. He arrived at the town hall, where the contestants were in a tizzy, flapping about like startled chickens. The teachers and students turned to him, their faces alight with hope, and cheered, “That’s Elementary Man!”

“Now, my dear friends! Who among you possesses a motive for this muffin mischief?” he boomed, rubbing his hands together with glee.

“I didn’t take them!” cried Betty, the most nervous of girls, her apron dusted with flour like a snow-covered hill.

“Pish posh! You simply wish to win!” scoffed Larry, the notorious prankster, known far and wide for his dubious baking prowess. “You’ve hidden them to make us look foolish!”

“Ad Fidentia!” Elementary Man exclaimed, throwing his hands skyward in exasperation. “Just because Betty lacks confidence doesn’t mean she’s untrustworthy!”

“Ad what now?” Larry scratched his head, bewildered.

“Ad Fidentia! It’s when one assumes a person’s word is trustworthy simply because they speak with confidence, or doubts another’s word due to a lack of it!” he explained, his eyes narrowing like a cat ready to pounce.

“Sounds rather fancy, but I still think she’s the culprit!” Larry retorted, crossing his arms with a huff.

Elementary Man chuckled heartily. “Let us not leap to conclusions, dear Larry. Each soul here is innocent until proven otherwise! Now, who else was lurking about?”

Just then, Sally, the tiniest gossip one could ever imagine, piped up. “I spied Larry sneaking around the dining area earlier! He was acting all shifty!”

“Me? Shifty? I was merely in search of a snack!” Larry protested, his eyes as wide as saucers. “And I stumbled upon a whole basket of muffins! But I didn’t take them!”

“Sure, Larry, and I’m the Queen of Mars,” Sally smirked, her voice dripping with mischief.

Elementary Man raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Ah, so you claim to have seen him with the muffins, yet you did not witness him take them?”

“Precisely!” Sally replied, puffing out her chest with pride.

“Ad Fidentia strikes again!” Elementary Man interjected. “Just because she speaks with a lot of confidence doesn’t mean we should trust her without proof! So we must gather more evidence, my friends.”

He strolled to the table where the muffins had once resided, his keen eyes scanning the scene. There, amidst the chaos, he spotted crumbs scattered upon the rug, leading to a curious trail of footprints. Following the trail, he ventured to the window, peering outside with a furrowed brow. Suddenly, he whipped out his cellphone and aimed it at the trees.

“Look!” he exclaimed, excitement bubbling in his voice.

The children huddled around the small screen of the mobile, their eyes wide with wonder. To their astonishment, they beheld a band of squirrels, merrily devouring the muffins high in the branches!

“Lo and behold! We’ve uncovered our muffin thieves!” Elementary Man laughed, his joy infectious. “And it wasn’t any of you!”

Larry sighed in relief, his shoulders dropping like a deflated balloon. “So, I’m not declared as guilty after all!” he exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face.

Betty joined in, her laughter bubbling nervously. “Neither am I! Oh, what a silly mix-up!”

“Just remember,” Elementary Man said, his voice taking on a sage tone, “the next time you find yourself unsure about whom to trust or distrust, beware the Ad Fidentia fallacy! Always seek the truth before leaping to conclusions!”

“Of course!” the students and their teachers chimed in unison, nodding their heads like a row of bobbleheads.

As he prepared to take his leave, the awestruck teacher, Mr. Pointbeak, pointed at him with wide eyes and said, “That’s so smart!”

Elementary Man turned around, a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his lips. “Nay, my dear friends, that’s Elementary Man!”

And with that, he pedaled away on his trusty tricycle, leaving behind a flurry of excitement and a lesson well learned.

Moral of the Short Story: Do not simply believe that a person can be trusted the most because that person has confidence. Also do not have less trust in someone because that individual does not have confidence. In addition, remember no one is guilty until they have been proven to be so.

 

Did you like this short story. Please check out our other posts from our short story collection:

Short Story 20: Shining Stars, Dimmed Profits

 

Short Story 11: All Hail The Cave Lover!