The Riddle Club through the holidays

In Short

Alice Dale Hardy’s The Riddle Club Through the Holidays (1924) follows six young friends in River Bend as they celebrate autumn and winter through a sequence of community activities and club undertakings. Guided by their resourceful president, Polly Marley, the children host a costume party, move their club headquarters, chase a runaway turkey, and brave a sudden blizzard while skating. Hardy’s gentle series entry endures for its snapshot of early twentieth-century American childhood, where low-stakes domestic mischief, shared responsibilities, simple seasonal traditions, and cheerful mutual aid build lasting bonds among tight-knit neighborhood playmates.

The Story

The story opens in River Bend, where the Riddle Club—led by president Polly Marley and overly serious treasurer Fred Williamson—meets to sort out their missing club dues. With Hallowe’en approaching, Jess Larue proposes an unusual costume theme: dressing up as animals. Jess labors over a homemade chicken outfit constructed from paper, paste, and real feathers, while Polly decides to go as a leopard and Margy as a lamb. On the night of the party at the Williamson house, a mysterious white figure frightens the children, but Fred discovers it is merely their prankish neighbor, Joe Anderson.

Soon after, Polly receives permission from her mother to use an empty, unfurnished back room for their official winter clubroom. The children eagerly haul their furniture and rugs over from the Williamson barn, dealing with minor mishaps along the way, including dropping a table out of a loft when sneezing and dust interrupt the heavy lifting. Holiday preparations continue as the club gets roped into helping Mrs. Pepper capture a runaway fattened turkey that has escaped into the Larue house and fled up into the attic.

Winter brings coasting races on Pond’s Hill, where Fred faces off against Joe Anderson. Despite Joe's unfair tactics on the slope, Fred wins the race through quick judgment and steady control. The children also construct a giant snowman on the street, complete with a red pepper mouth, orange peel ears, and red flannel initials on his cap, drawing praise from older neighbor Harry Worden, who promises to photograph it.

As Christmas nears, the club members earn five dollars by solving a riddle presented by Fred's father, which they generously donate to a school collection for a needy local family. During the holiday break, the six friends embark on an ambitious skating trip down the river toward Jackson’s Pond. A sudden, blinding snowstorm sweeps in, trapping them far from home in a desolate area. They take shelter overnight in an abandoned, drafty barn, where Margy is terrified by a rat. The next morning, they make their way to the nearby home of Mrs. Wicks, a kindly, lame elderly woman. The children assist her with household chores, shoveling paths, and gathering eggs until Polly’s father arrives in a horse-drawn sleigh to rescue them. Returning safely to River Bend, the children celebrate the thaw as their giant snowman slowly melts, leaving them with memories of a adventurous holiday season.

How It Unfolds

Planning the Hallowe'en party Fred Williamson attempts to collect ten-cent club dues from the group, while Jess Larue convinces the members to dress as animals for an upcoming holiday gathering.

Moving into the new clubroom Polly offers her family's empty spare room for the club's winter home, prompting the children to transport their heavy furniture from the Williamsons' barn.

Chasing the holiday turkey The club members assist Mrs. Pepper in hunting down a runaway turkey that has crashed through a window and escaped straight into the Larues' attic.

Sledding on Pond's Hill Fred competes against the troublesome Joe Anderson in a high-speed sled race down a icy hill, overcoming Joe's unsportsmanlike maneuvers to take first place.

Building the giant snowman The friends collaborate to build an oversized snow statue fitted with hose-pipe arms, charcoal eyes, and red flannel lettering, attracting the attention of the neighborhood.

Winning the riddle prize During a family gathering, the children solve Mr. Williamson's puzzle, earning five dollars which they promptly donate to a holiday charity fund for a poor family.

Stranded in the storm An ambitious skating excursion to Jackson's Pond turns perilous when a blizzard strikes, forcing the children to shelter in an old barn and eventually at the farmhouse of lame Mrs. Wicks.

The People

• Polly Marley wants to keep her friends enthusiastic, organized, and fair-minded. She leads the Riddle Club with gentle tact, speaks up against unfairness during sled races, and willingly takes on chores like cleaning the clubroom rug or helping out around Mrs. Wicks's kitchen.
• Fred Williamson wants absolute financial discipline and order within the club's ranks. As treasurer, he demands prompt dues, lowers heavy furniture safely from barn lofts, and drives his sled with sharp judgment, eventually feeling proud when the club's savings aid others.
• Jess Larue wants her creative ideas to be recognized by the group. She designs elaborate animal costumes out of newspapers and feathers, speaks her mind openly, and stands her ground firmly when terrified by dark cellars or barn rats.
• Ward Larue wants to spend his small allowances on gadgets like magnifying glasses rather than saving them. Though short of breath and easily distracted during heavy work, he proves his bravery by searching dark yards for suspected ghosts and sweeping snow paths after the storm.
• Margy Williamson wants comfort, neatness, and pleasant surroundings. She dislikes scary cellars, homely animal costumes, and sudden blizzards, but she happily contributes to decorating the clubroom and helping clear dishes.
• Artie Marley wants fun and excitement alongside his older sister Polly. He gets easily distracted by snowballs or warm spots in haywagons, but he works dutifully alongside Fred during outdoor tasks.

In Its Own Voice

“Well, at our party, why couldn’t we come dressed like--like chickens and pigs and things?”

Jess proposes her unique animal-costume concept to the amused club members as they gather in the Williamson kitchen to plan their Hallowe'en festivities.

“Mother said that, as long as she wasn’t going to use the room, we could have it for our clubroom this winter!”

Polly breathlessly shares the exciting news with her playmates at the schoolyard gate after learning her mother has postponed buying new furniture.

“He was very tall indeed--far taller than any of those who had made him--and when his makers looked at him they were agreed that he was quite the largest statue they had ever tried to build.”

The narrative describes the children's collective pride as they put the finishing touches on their massive snow creation, complete with a red pepper mouth and orange peel ears.

What It's Really About

Beneath its episodic structure of childhood games and holiday parties, the book explores the practical virtues of childhood self-reliance, community cooperation, and moderate living. Hardy emphasizes how small responsibilities—such as managing tiny club dues, lowered barn ropes, or shared household tasks—build character in young people. The narrative continuously contrasts small rivalries and selfish tendencies (represented by Joe Anderson's cheating or Carrie Pepper's sour comments) with the open-handed cheerfulness of the Riddle Club. When faced with unexpected hardship, such as getting trapped miles away from town in a winter blizzard, the children's habits of mutual encouragement and helpfulness turn a potentially dangerous situation into an opportunity to assist a lonely, elderly neighbor.

Why Read It Today

The Riddle Club Through the Holidays offers modern readers a cozy, nostalgic window into early twentieth-century American town life. Readers who enjoy gentle episodic classics like The Bobbsey Twins or Five Little Peppers will appreciate the simple, unhurried pacing and warm group dynamics. The prose is clean, straightforward, and highly accessible, free of complex stylistic barriers, though contemporary audiences may notice the period's strict traditional gender divisions regarding housework and outdoor labor. What stays with the reader is the genuine innocence of the children's play—where building an oversized snowman, solving a simple parlor puzzle, or riding a horse-drawn sleigh through deep snow banks provides all the magic needed for a memorable winter holiday.