The Case of the Missing Glasses

Type: Short Story

Summary: Herbert can’t find his glasses anywhere. His grandson, Charlie, takes on the role of a cunning detective to solve the mystery of the missing glasses.

Publish date: 29/04/2026

Words count: 3.9K

Read time: ~ 21 minutes

Author’s notes: This story is not written specifically for children, but it is child-friendly and can be read by or to a child.

This story is an original work by Lina Dimitrova and is protected by copyright.

Herbert frowned and loudly sighed. “Where are they?”

He looked upon the side table once again and then slowly completed another lap around his armchair. His joints were creaking even more these days, but he was too determined to find his missing glasses.

Charlie was sitting on the second step of the stairs, attentively observing his tireless grandfather. His curious blue eyes followed the old man’s every movement.

“Flibbertigibbet!” Herbert exclaimed after he checked underneath the sofa. “Where are they?”

The old man got up with a loud cracking sound. “Argh! My back!”

Charlie sensed it was time to interfere. He ran to his grandfather and helped him sit in his armchair.

“I’ll take the case,” Charlie said decisively.

“Huh?” Herbert replied while massaging his hurt back.

“The case of the missing glasses”

“What do you mean, my boy?”

“Your glasses have disappeared,” Charlie continued enthusiastically. “You have been searching for them all morning without success”

“That is true. And I know they’re here somewhere”

“Worry not, grandpa dear, I’ll find them!”

The boy then put his hands behind his back and started pacing throughout the living room.

Herbert observed his grandson with confusion. Kids nowadays watch too much television and is messing up their heads, he thought.

“What are you doing, my boy?” the old man asked seemingly still in pain.

“I am walking around,” the boy answered the obvious.

“I can see that. But why are you walking around?”

“So I can think better and solve the case of the missing glasses. That’s how detectives do it”

“Oh, so now you’re a detective?” Herbert asked intrigued.

“Yes!” the boy replied excitedly. “Like Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot!”

“I see,” Herbert replied with a smile. His grandson was one of the brightest and most curious kids in town. He was certain Charlie could find his glasses.

“Now, tell me, Mr. Brown,” Charlie started.

Mr. Brown?

“When was the last time you used your glasses?”

“Let’s see,” the old man strained his memory to retrieve this information.

“Oh boy,” Charlie said softly to their pet cat that was lying and purring beside him. “This might take a while, Merlin”

“Yes!” Herbert exclaimed with a jump in his seat and then loudly moaned in pain. “Argh, my back!”

Charlie looked back at Merlin. “A while, indeed”

“Help me get up, my boy”

“Isn’t it better if you stay seated?” Charlie inquired.

“Do you want me to show you where I last used my glasses or not?”

“Indeed, Mr. Brown”

With great effort, Herbert was back on his feet and began his slow walk to the back of the house where his room was located.

Charlie looked at Merlin again, sighed, and slightly shook his head. “Not a while – forever!”

Merlin meowed in agreement and went to look for a cozier spot for his mid-morning nap.

After a few tortuous minutes, Herbert finally made it to his room, followed by the little detective.

“Your mum brought me the morning newspaper,” the client began his story. “I sat in the chair here, by the bed. Around the sports pages, your mum walked in again to call me for breakfast. I took off my glasses and joined the rest of you for her delicious Saturday pancakes. And after breakfast, I wanted to finish the newspaper. I came here to pick it up, but couldn’t find my glasses anywhere, so I began my search throughout the entire house!”

“Without success!” Charlie emphasized.

“Yes! Where could they be? They should be here somewhere,” Herbert started searching again. “Maybe I didn’t see them before”

He tried to lean forward and check under the bed.

“Argh, my back!” he exclaimed once again.

“Mr. Brown, why don’t you sit down and I’ll look?” Charlie suggested.

“That’s a good idea, my boy”

“Please, call me detective Hughes”

“Oh? My apologies, detective Hughes,” Herbert said humbly.

Charlie looked thoroughly under the bed, under the sheets, under the pillow, under the chair, and even under the rug.

“Hmm, I think we would have known if they were there,” Herbert noted. “There would have been a cracking sound”

“There were a few cracking sounds this morning but all seemed to come from you,” Charlie noted.

“Oi!” Herbert exclaimed, as if offended, but knew very well this was true.

“Mr. Brown, do you remember where exactly you placed your glasses when you were summoned for mum’s delicious Saturday pancakes?”

“Let’s see,” Herbert proceeded to recreate his morning. “I was reading the newspaper right here when your mum walked in to call me for breakfast. Then I put the newspaper upon the bed and took off my glasses, which I also put upon the bed”

Charlie took a good look at his grandfather’s bed. A pillow and a blanket – nothing more.

“The newspaper is also missing!” the boy exclaimed.

“The newspaper is not missing, detective Hughes. I took it to my armchair in the living room, thinking my glasses might be there”

“Wait here,” Charlie ordered and swiftly ran to the living room to check whether the newspaper was there.

“Okay, you didn’t lie,” the boy said after he returned.

“Of course I didn’t lie,” Herbert replied offendedly. “Why would I lie?”

“I don’t know. But a good detective mustn’t overlook anything. No matter how small”

The old man muttered something under his breath.

“Was there anything else on the bed?” Charlie continued his interrogation.

“Hmm, my cardigan was on it earlier. I put it on after I got up, but I was too hot, so I took it off and put it on my bed”

Charlie looked at the bed. “Okay, so where is it now?”

Herbert looked at his bed, as well. “Where is it indeed?”

Charlie jumped. “So we have two missing items? This is getting most intriguing!”

The boy started pacing back and forth in the small room. “Who could possibly need your glasses and cardigan and why? Mum for example? But why would she need a man’s cardigan? I know she sometimes borrows a T-shirt from dad, but that’s it. Then dad maybe? He ran out of clothes and took this one, because… he didn’t have another choice?”

“Doesn’t seem likely. Your father has never borrowed any clothes from me before”

“That you know of,” Charlie noted.

“Huh?”

“Maybe he took it because he thought you wouldn’t notice it’s gone. Maybe he’s done it before, as well. You just never knew”

This statement really made Herbert think. Was it possible that Gary occasionally borrowed his clothes without permission?

“So, Mr. Brown, you say you walked out of your room for breakfast and didn’t return until you finished eating, correct? When your glasses and cardigan were already missing”

“That is correct, detective Hughes”

“That means someone entered your room and took your possessions while you were having breakfast. But who could it be?” Charlie was still pacing around. “Dad was with us during breakfast and then went to the garage to wash the car before it was time to leave for the Community Centre. He could have taken your cardigan to clean with it”

“I kind of doubt your father would do that,”

“Hmm, maybe not,” the boy agreed. “While mum… mum said she’ll do the laundry before it was time to leave”

A few moments of silence followed. Then Charlie snapped his fingers. “The washing machine!”

The boy ran out of the room while Herbert remained seated. He sighed and made an effort to get up. By the time he managed to be on his feet again, Charlie returned.

“Did you find them, my boy?” Herbert asked when his grandson entered the room. “Oh, erm, sorry… detective Hughes”

Charlie took a moment to catch his breath. “No,” he shortly answered.

“Oh?”

“But I found your cardigan,” Charlie added as he looked outside.

Herbert, now standing, walked to the window and saw the laundry hanging outside. His cardigan was there, too.

“Here’s what I think happened,” Charlie returned to pacing. “When mum called you for breakfast, you placed your glasses on the bed, on top of the cardigan. While we were eating, mum picked up clothes for washing and walked in your room again. She took your cardigan but didn’t see the glasses. They’re nowhere on the floor, so my theory is she picked them up along with the cardigan and they got into the laundry basket, as well”

Charlie stopped by the window again as if his story was finished.

“Okay, but where are my glasses then?” Herbert asked confused.

The boy seemed somewhat embarrassed. “I don’t know… yet!” then returned to pacing. “They weren’t in the washing machine. Mum would have realized they were there”

“Maybe she did and took them out of the laundry machine?” Herbert suggested.

“But took them where?” Charlie inquired. “Why wouldn’t she put them back in your room? Or give them to you while you were still in the kitchen? Something else must have happened to them”

The young detective continued pacing in the room. “She always picks clothes from their room, then my room, then your room and then – the washing machine. But I didn’t see your glasses anywhere between here and the washing machine”

“Your dad,” Herbert said.

“Sorry?” the boy stopped.

“I heard your dad telling your mum to pick up some dirty clothes from the garage, as well”

Charlie took a moment to process the information and ran towards the garage. The old man sighed and slowly followed.

Herbert found his little detective closely examining the interior of the garage. There were numerous tools, boxes, and junk everywhere. Charlie was particularly focused on something on the ground.

“Did you find anything, detective Hughes?”

The boy leaned forward and reached into a box. He took out a clean polka-dot sock.

Herbert stood behind him. “How did that get there?”

Charlie got up and started pacing back and forth again. “I saw his partner earlier”

“His partner?” the old man was confused.

“Yes, his partner. When I went outside to look for your cardigan. This sock is from today’s laundry”

“What do you make of that, detective Hughes?” Herbert inquired.

Charlie thought for a little while. “Dad said he could use some help washing the car, so here’s what I think happened. Mum came here to pick up the dirty clothes, as my dad asked. But he also asked for some help with the car, so mum put the basket here to give him a hand,” the boy pointed to a small table. “One of them accidentally pushed the basket and some of the clothes scattered. This sock got inside this box, so…”

Charlie looked inside the box again. Then around it. Then searched the other boxes. Then went through the entire garage, but didn’t see his grandfather’s glasses anywhere.

“Hmm,” he said seemingly frustrated. “They’re not here”

“Maybe your dad took them,” Herbert suggested.

“But why would he do that?”

“To return them to me”

“Except that he didn’t,” Charlie added. “Your glasses never got to you”

“Well, maybe he got distracted on the way or accidentally took them with him”

“We’ll check this theory now,” Charlie said and ran inside the house.

He got to the cabinet in the living room and opened the top drawer. Inside, his parents kept an emergency phone. It was his father’s old smartphone, which acted as a home phone when they needed to talk to Herbert or Charlie. The boy wasn’t allowed to use it without permission, except for emergency situations. And this was such – his grandfather needed his glasses to finish reading his newspaper!

Charlie took the phone, unlocked the screen and dialed his mum.

“Hello? Charlie? Is everything all right?” Lily answered worriedly.

“Yes, mum, everything is fine,” Charlie replied. “But there’s something important I have to ask dad”

“Your dad? What? He’s a little busy at the moment”

“I want to know if he took grandpa’s glasses this morning”

“Your grandfather’s glasses? Why would he do that?”

“Can you just ask him, please?”

“Okay, just one moment,” Charlie heard the next words muffled. “Gary, do you have my father’s glasses?”

“Eh?” Charlie heard his dad faintly.

“My father’s glasses. Charlie asks if you had taken them. I guess he can’t find them”

“I haven’t seen his glasses at all”

“You sure?”

“Yes,” Charlie heard faintly, but sensed his father’s certainty.

“I’m sorry, honey, your dad doesn’t have them,” Lily said to Charlie. “Did your grandfather lose them?”

“Not on my watch!” the boy said decisively and hung up the phone.

“So?” Herbert asked when his detective returned to the garage.

“Dad didn’t take them. The mystery deepens,” Charlie said and started pacing again. “They were on your bed. Probably on your cardigan, so mum must have picked them up by accident. Then she must have brought them here with the rest of the laundry. And, surely, they must have fallen out when the basket was accidentally pushed over”

Charlie took a few more steps and firmly said. “’When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth’ – Sherlock Holmes”

“Wise words,” Herbert added. “But what is the truth?”

“A black hole,” the little detective said without hesitation.

“I beg your pardon?”

“They must have been swallowed by a small black hole”

Herbert looked around the garage and asked a little mockingly. “Gee, are we safe?”

“Well, what is your explanation then!?” Charlie exclaimed seemingly offended. He was getting quite frustrated for not being able to solve the mystery of the missing glasses.

“All right, all right. I’m sorry, detective Hughes”

While grandfather and grandson were standing silently in the garage defeated, Charlie heard faint barking. At first he didn’t pay attention to it. Then he suddenly snapped his fingers.

“Duke!” the boy exclaimed.

“What was that?” Herbert was once again confused.

“Duke!” Charlie repeated enthusiastically. “Mr. Moore’s dog”

Charlie pressed his right ear to the garage door. The barking continued.

“You know, Duke sometimes wanders around the neighborhood,” the boy continued. “And Mr. Moore always says he’s glad to have a companion, but Duke is still a young pup and very energetic, and sometimes manages to escape when Mr. Moore opens the gate. And Duke likes to pick up stuff, especially from our garage when the door is open”

Charlie returned to his more calm expression and started pacing again. “Here’s what I think happened. Mum was helping dad in the garage and one of them accidentally pushed the laundry basket. Your glasses fell on the ground and Duke took them while sniffing around. But mum and dad didn’t notice that. Mum also didn’t notice that one of the socks was missing,” Charlie showed the sock they had found earlier.

“That’s quite the theory, detective Hughes”

“Shall we go and test it?”

“I don’t see why not. My glasses are nowhere to be found here”

The boy detective and his client left the house and went to their neighbor’s. Duke was playfully running around Mr. Moore’s front yard.

“Ah yes, look at that little rascal,” Herbert said.

Charlie opened the gate and they walked in the front yard. Duke saw the guests and started jumping on them in joy.

“Argh, my back!” Herbert exclaimed. “It suffered too much today”

“Come one, Duke,” Charlie said to the dog. “Let’s go find Mr. Moore”

The two young boys ran to the front door and Charlie rang the doorbell. Mr. Moore opened it and Duke immediately started jumping on his owner in joy.

“Argh! My back!” Mr. Moore exclaimed.

Charlie couldn’t help but giggle.

“Oi! You’ll see one day when you get my age,” Mr. Moore said.

“Ah, let the boy laugh, Eugene” Herbert said while slowly approaching them, supporting his back. “We used to be the same, no doubt”

“Well, what can I do for you, gentlemen?” Mr. Moore asked.

“My grandfather’s glasses have disappeared, and after a thorough investigation, I believe they are in your house”

“In my house?” Mr. Moore was surprised. “Are you accusing me of stealing his glasses?”

“Not you,” Herbert interfered. “Your dog”

Duke tilted his head to one side at the old man as if he understood he was being accused of stealing.

“Duke?” Mr. Moore sounded offended.

“My dad was working in the garage earlier and he usually leaves the door open,” Charlie said. “And Duke occasionally comes for a visit and finds something to play with. We believe it was my grandfather’s glasses this morning”

“I wish I could help you, gentlemen, but Duke hasn’t brought in any glasses,” Mr. Moore replied. “Only mine,” he added.

The boy detective lifted one eyebrow in suspicion. “Your glasses?”

“Yes,” Mr. Moore answered. “I don’t know why he was playing with them or how he got them, but at some point he brought them to me”

Grandfather and grandson looked at each other.

“Can we see your glasses, Mr. Moore?” Charlie asked.

“See them?” their elderly neighbor seemed surprised. “Well, sure. I don’t see why not”

He let them inside and took them to the living room. He picked up the glasses that were upon his armchair.

“Well, here they are,” he said somewhat proudly.

Herbert took them and strained his eyes. They looked like his but he wasn’t sure. “And you’re certain these are your glasses?”

Mr. Moore also strained his eyes to take a better look. “Well, I can’t be completely certain if I’m not wearing my glasses to see the details”

“Well, me, too,” Herbert said straining his eyes even more.

Charlie sighed and looked at Duke. “We won’t get anywhere like this,” he took the glasses from his grandfather. “I’ll check them. Are there any specific details?”

“Well, mine have beige frames,” Mr. Moore said.

“So do mine,” Herbert added.

The glasses in Charlie’s hands were indeed beige.

“And they’re big,” Mr. Moore continued.

“So are mine,” Herbert added.

And Charlie was, in fact, holding big, beige glasses.

“Aha!” suddenly Herbert exclaimed. “Mine have a text on the inner frame – ‘Property of Herbert Brown’, for situations like this one”

“Oh, how posh,” Mr. Moore mumbled.

Herbert frowned but didn’t say anything.

“Okay, let’s see,” Charlie said and looked for the text.

The two elderly men waited in anticipation.

“Here it is!” Charlie exclaimed. “It clearly says ‘Property of Herbert Brown’ on the inner frame”

“Where?” Mr. Moore was surprised and strained his eyes once again.

“You don’t believe my boy, Eugene?” Herbert asked angrily.

“Well, these glasses have been in my house all morning and you two suddenly come and claim they’re yours,” Mr. Moore added even more angrily. “What would you think in my position?”

“Well, you said Duke brought them to you,” Herbert continued. “Didn’t it seem strange that he was playing with your glasses? Do you regularly let him do that? Hmm?”

“How I play with my dog is none of your business!”

“Gentlemen, please!” Charlie interfered. He knew the two old men were close friends since forever and didn’t want to see them fight over something so silly. “Mr. Moore, where do you usually keep your glasses?”

“On the side table,” he pointed to the small table by his armchair. “Or in my internal left pocket,” he added and placed his hand there and pulled his glasses out by habit. “Huh?”

Mr. Moore looked at the glasses he was holding and then at the glasses in Charlie’s hand. “By Jove!” he exclaimed, then put his glasses on and took the ones from the boy. He could clearly see the text on the inner frame – ‘Property of Herbert Brown’.

“Why, it seems I owe you two an apology,” Mr. Moore added. “And so do you, Duke!” he scolded his young pup, which whined and lay down in guilt.

“I’ll take these,” Herbert said and took his glasses back.

“But how? I don’t understand,” Mr. Moore was baffled.

“Here’s how I think it happened,” Charlie started pacing again as he told the story. “My grandfather was reading his morning newspaper when my mum called him for breakfast. He placed his glasses on his bed, upon his cardigan. Then later mum took the laundry basket and started collecting clothes from our rooms. She took his cardigan without noticing the glasses. I believe the frame somehow got caught in the cardigan’s fabric and in the basket they went”

“Interesting theory,” Mr. Moore said.

“Then mum went to the garage to pick some clothes from my dad who was busy with our car,” the boy detective continued. “He needed help, so she left the laundry basket upon a little table. At some point one of them accidentally pushed the basket and some of the clothes fell on the ground, alongside his glasses”

“How did you figure all that out?” Mr. Moore was most intrigued.

“I found one sock in a box”

“A sock in a box?”

“Yes. A sock in a box in the garage”

“Could have gotten there another way,” Mr. Moore opposed.

“Could have… but his partner is hanging outside as we speak,” Charlie said decisively. “Which means both socks were from today’s laundry. Besides, my grandfather’s glasses must have gotten out of the laundry basket somehow and that is the only explanation”

“But how does Duke get into this?”

The dog lifted his head. He was also interested in what the prosecution had to say.

“When my dad works in the garage, he usually keeps the door open. I really don’t know why exactly, but Duke has taken stuff before, too”

The dog put his head down again. He knew he was guilty.

“Ay, you little rascal,” Mr. Moore scolded his faithful companion but with a gentle tone. Duke whined guiltily in reply.

“Most times my dad notices and manages to take it back,” Charlie continued his narrative. “But this morning, it would seem none of them noticed Duke took my grandfather’s glasses. And when he returned to you, you assumed they were your glasses”

Mr. Moore suddenly started clapping. “Bravo, my boy! This certainly is quite the investigation you have conducted!”

Charlie blushed and bowed.

“I’m telling you, Eugene, this boy here is really bright,” Herbert added. “He’s our pride”

The boy detective blushed even more and tried to hide his face away. The two elderly men laughed.

“Charlie!” suddenly they all heard Lily’s voice from outside.

“Mum!” the boy shouted in turn and ran outside, followed by the perpetrator.

“Ah, look at them sprinting,” Mr. Moore said.

“That’s what it was like to be young, Eugene, but we have long forgotten,” Herbert added and they both laughed.

“Oh, there you are, honey!” Lily sighed. “Why were you in Mr. Moore’s house? Is everything all right? Where’s your grandfather?”

“Everything’s fine, mum. Duke had taken grandpa’s glasses, so we went to retrieve them”

The dog whined again in guilt.

“He took your grandfather’s glasses? How?”

“I’ll tell you!” Charlie exclaimed enthusiastically. “I conducted an investigation and figured everything out”

“You conducted an investigation?” Lily was surprised by her little boy.

“Yes! And it all started with you!”

“With me?” Lily was most surprised. “What do I have to do with this?”

The boy detective giggled and told her all about his investigation as they walked inside the house.

Right before he went to bed, Charlie peeked in the living room and saw his grandfather snoozing in his armchair. His glasses were on the side table.

Merlin meowed next to the boy as if to say “well done”. Charlie smiled and petted his furry companion. Then he went to bed pleased, knowing he successfully solved the case of the missing glasses and his grandfather was able to finish reading his newspaper.