"Clues?" Nicky's eyes were two huge blue circles. "Really?"

Jessi nodded. "You see, there is a hidden treasure here in the Secret Garden."

"And you have to follow the clues to find it," I said.

"Where do we start?" Vanessa asked. She was just as intrigued by the idea of a treasure hunt as her younger brothers and sisters.

I took off my newspaper hat, unfolded it, and found (where I had written it the night before) the first clue: for "Table!" the kids shouted in unison. Jessi and I stood back and watched my brothers and sisters run from picnic table to picnic table, searching for the next clue.

"Going out at seven in the morning to hide these wasn't exactly my idea of a good time," I murmured to Jessi, "but watching those guys have fun makes it worth it."

"I found it!" Vanessa yelled, pulling off the piece of paper I'd taped under one of the tables. She waved it in the air, and the other kids cl.u.s.tered around to hear her read it out loud. For a second they stood, thinking, and then Jordan shouted, "I know where it is."

"Where is that next clue?" Jessi whispered to me.

'"In the trash can."

For the next fifteen minutes, the kids raced from the table to the trash can, then to the swing set, on to the big maple tree, and over to the log bench with the name Barbie carved on its side.

What was truly amazing was that they were helping each other solve the puzzle. Claire and Margo held hands while Nicky and the triplets, who managed to be the first to arrive at every clue, would eagerly hand the piece of paper to Vanessa to'read. Sometimes Vanessa let Claire unfold it. Other times Nicky would shout, "Please, let me!" But not once did they get into an argument. They were working together. Like a family.

It's hard to describe the warm feeling that kept bubbling up inside me. Not for the first time that day, tears welled in my eyes. (I think I'm turning into a big mush, just like Mary Anne.) Suddenly Jordan called, "I got it!" He picked up Claire and stumbled toward the sandbox next to the slide.

The other kids followed and knelt in the gra.s.s around the sandbox, where Jessi and I had buried the treasure. Jordan stuck his hand into the sand and pulled out a brightly colored box. Then the rest of them dove in and started pulling prizes out of the sand.

"Lookit!" Nicky declared, holding up a little box with his name on it. "This one's for me."

Jessi had had the fantastic idea to take Animal Crackers boxes, paint them, and put each kid's name on one of them. Then we filled the boxes with cookies, wiggly plastic spiders and snakes, and wind-up toys.

The next half hour was spent eating treats at the picnic tables and examining the kids' treasures.

"This is the best day ever!" Claire declared.

And it was. Everything went off without a hitch. Soon the kids packed their treasures into their knapsacks, and then Jessi and I and my brothers and sisters went out for burgers and fries. Along the way, the Explorers stopped to watch some squirrels playing in the park and to feed the ducks in the pond. Then we saw the ice cream truck and I treated everyone to Popsicles.

When our special day came to an end, Jessi and I led a very contented but tired band of Explorers back to the house. The sun was just starting to set, and the sky had turned a glowing shade of pink. We sat on the front steps and watched the sun sink below the horizon. Claire was sitting on my lap, and Nicky and Margo were leaning against my knee. The triplets surrounded Jessi, and Vanessa sat between us. At that moment, I realized I could never quit baby-sitting, or being with children. I like them too much.

Besides, they're wonderful material for stories. And it just so happens that in my creative writing cla.s.s on Friday, Mr. Dougherty asked us to come up with a story about a special, unforgettable event. I know what mine is going to be about.

About the Author.

ANN M. MARTIN did a lot of baby-sitting when she was growing up in Princeton, New Jersey. She is a former editor of books for children, and was graduated from Smith College.

Ms. Martin lives in New York City with her cats, Mouse and Rosie. She likes ice cream and I Love Lucy; and she hates to cook.

Ann Martin's Apple Paperbacks include Yours Turly, Shirley; Ten Kids, No Pets; With You and Without You; b.u.mmer Summer; and all the other books in the Baby-sitters Club series.