“Oh my…oh me I’ve lost the city’s key!” Yes that was true and it is also true that everything the mayor of Smalltown said was said in rhyme.
Then little Tommy Smith asked “Do we really “lock” the city?”
“Well no not actually…it’s ceremonial.” answered Tommy’s teacher Miss Sugar.
“Well I’m gonna help Mayor Wallabee find it. I’m gonna be a detective when I grow up!” said Tommy.
“I’m sure he’d be pleased if you found it for him and you’d be doing the city a favor too!” Said Miss Sugar.
I’m going home and talk to Mickey about this mystery.”

Tommy went home and did talk to Mickey, his Bloodhound, but Mickey didn’t have a clue as to what happened to the City’s key.
Then Tommy had an idea…”What if I let Mickey sniff the lock to the City and then he can track the key to wherever it is with his amazing bloodhound nose!”
But when Tommy told the Mayor of his plan Mayor Wallabee said “Oh my…Oh me…it sure is a pity…Mickey can’t sniff it ’cause there’s no LOCK to the city!”

“Then we don’t really NEED a key do we?” asked Tommy… making a statement as well as asking a question.
“There’s no REAL lock…Sooooo…the answer has to be…Nooooo!” rhymed the Mayor.
“Ummmm…” Tommy’s “little grey cells were working hard now” as Hercule Perot, a favorite literary detective of Tommy’s would say.
“Exactly….when did you see the key last Mr. Mayor?”
“Let me see….when could it be?” The mayor put his hand to his chin and thought and thought.
“Ah!” exclaimed the mayor…”…it seems to me….the last time I saw the key…I was in the yard…talking to the guard.”
“Great…a clue…I know what to do…thank you!” said Tommy.
“Now the Mayor has ME doin’ it too.”
Tommy went to the garden in the rear of City Hall and there by the back gate stood a uniformed guard.
“Excuse me Sir…but I’m investigating the lost key to the city. The Mayor says that he was talking to you the last time he saw it.” Tommy had to look up at the very tall guard.
“Ummm…let me think….I remember talking to the Mayor….by the way have you noticed that everything he says “Rhymes”?
“Ah yes….do you recall seeing a Key during your discussion.”
Tommy thought that he sounded very…well…like a detective interrogating the guard.
Then Tommy noticed a very large object sticking out among the many keys on the guard’s huge key ring.
“May I inquire what that object on your key ring is? asked Tommy.
The guard looked down and examined the key ring “Oh my….I think this is the item that I found on the ground after my talk with the Mayor! I thought I had dropped one of my many keys.”
“I bet that’s it…the missing key to the city. May I have it to take to the Mayor?” asked Tommy.
“I guess…it doesn’t open anything that I know of!” And the guard gave the key to Tommy who returned it to the Mayor.
The Mayor was so thankful that the lost key was found by detective “to be” Tommy he declared the next day “Tommy Smith Day” in Smalltown. And at the ceremony where Tommy’s parents, Miss Sugar,Mickey and many townspeople attended Mayor Wallabee awarded Tommy the “Key To The City!”