The Case of The Wide Canal - By Kiev Charles Valdez

Written By: Kiev Charles Valdez

Category: Short Mystery Story

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

Kiev Charles Valdez, writing under the name Sumdil Tedan Smartest Boy, presents "The Case of The Wide Canal," a compelling short mystery story. As part of the esteemed Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, this narrative showcases Valdez's knack for crafting intriguing plots and sharp problem-solving scenarios. The story unfolds with a young detective, Sumdil, who finds himself unraveling a series of curious cases, each more captivating than the last. The theme of deductive reasoning and youthful brilliance weaves through this mystery, offering readers a delightful journey into the world of imaginative storytelling.

About the Work

"The Case of The Wide Canal" encapsulates an atmosphere of intrigue and youthful wisdom. Kiev Charles Valdez skillfully crafts a narrative where Sumdil, a smart and observant young detective, tackles a mystery involving misleading evidence and clever deductions. The story stands out for its logical twists and the protagonist's keen eye for detail, invoking the classic charm of detective tales. Through vivid imagery and a well-paced storyline, Valdez engages readers in a world where intellect and perception reign supreme, culminating in a satisfying resolution.

Sumdil Tedan Smartest Boy

Original Submission by Kiev Charles Valdez

Kiev M Valdez

Smartest Boy

The Case of The

Wide Canal

Sumdil Tedan lived in Texas, USA. He was the only child in his family. Mr. and Mrs. Tedan were always proud of their smart son. He was the only one who earned A+ 10 times in a row. One Sunday summer morning Earl Corn knocked on

Sumdil’s front door.

“I was robbed 3 minutes ago. John Sanat took one whole watermelon” he wailed, Earl was known for having the smallest watermelon patch.

He also had a wide and long canal between his and John’s house. It was so wide that it was impossible to jump over, it was very shallow, luckily.

“I saw the whole thing! John took the watermelon, then he crossed the canal, next he went straight into his house. he left clear muddy shoe prints.’’ He said as he led Sumdil to his house. When they got to Earl’s house Sumdil could see clear muddy shoe prints going from Earl’s house past the canal then to John’s front porch. Sumdil smiled, “I know who the thief is.’’ WHO WAS THE THIEF?

Next page for the answer.

Answer to: The Case of The Wide Canal

The thief was simply Earl himself; there was clear muddy shoe prints remember? But there was a Canal that was impossible to jump over to, so the shoe prints couldn’t be clear if John had stolen it. To the canal to Earl’s house, it should’ve been wet. Because John could have not jumped over it, so he crossed it. After pointing this out to Earl, he confessed he made the prints himself then blamed it on John since Earl hated him.

The Case of The

Math Teacher

One Monday morning Stane Mili knocked on Sumdil’s door. Stane was 10 years old like Sumdil, and she was always listening to the news.

“Mr. Newel the math teacher gave Earl his box of snow globes along with a letter to say who should have it, you might get chosen!’’ She explained pulling Sumdil’s arm.

“Welcome everyone!’’ Earl shouted, when they arrived.

“Today I’ll pass the letter around and whoever gets it please raise your hand!’’ He screamed loudly. The letter was shown and passed around. When it got to Sumdil, he read it: In this box are 25 of my snow globes, I would want to give to it my 4 top students which are, John Sanat, Sarpan Metid, Col Black, and Sulnim Tekan.

It was true, these 4 had just beaten his record each got 13 A+ scores in a row. Sumdil raised his hand even he wasn’t in the list.

“This is a fake letter!” He yelled. “And it’s easy to tell” HOW?

Next page for the answer.

Answer to: The Case of The Math Teacher

When Sumdil noticed there were only 4 students and only 25 snow globes he knew it was fake. Mr. Newel would never send 25 snow globes to 4

students only, 25 divided by 4 is only 6 with a remainder of 1 but it never tells who that 1 snow globe was for making it not an equal share. Since it was the top students, Mr. Newel would send 4, 8, 12, 16,

20, and 24 since those numbers are divisible by 4 making sure it was even. Faced by it, Earl, the idiot, once again, confessed he had written it himself.

The Case of The

Full Box

One rainy Tuesday, Sparni Backil knocked on Sumdil’s front window, sobbing. When Sumdil let Sparni in, he explained what had happened.

“I got to my basement to pick up my artifacts. I’ve been lately collecting some” He explained, “Telly Nasim, my best friend, promised to pick me up. But once I got to the basement my artifacts were smashed! She is on her way, can you come to figure out who had done it?”

“Where are you going?’’ Sumdil inquired.

“She never told me, she said it was a surprise.” he answered. “She also said we’re going at three o’clock. It was five minutes to three when they arrived to the front door. Telly was pushing a full box covered in plastic to keep it dry.

“Let’s go!” she yelled after a greeting.

“Someone smashed my artifacts” Sparni wailed.

“That’s terrible, who would do that?” Telly asked.

“I don’t know! But whoever did is very dumb!” he groaned. Suddenly, Sumdil frowned. He walked up to Telly and whispered something in her ear.

“Sorry I smashed your artifacts, as an apology, you can have my artifacts.” Telly said as she gave him the box. After Telly left, they pushed the box inside.

“Golly, what did you say to Telly? asked Sparni.

“I know you did it, Telly because....

BECAUSE OF WHAT?

Next page for the answer.

Answer to: The Case of The Full Box

you had a full box and not expecting any load. You didn’t expect some load since you smashed the other load already!” When Sumdil noticed the full box, he knew Telly was guilty. Telly should’ve expected more load since Sparni artifacts will be there to. When she smashed it, she knew no more extra load and brought a full box. When Sumdil and Sparni checked the artifacts, each was worth one hundred dollars.

The Case of The

Square Root

Mr. Tedan worked at the bank, he was always happy there.

One Wednesday evening, he came home upset.

“What’s the problem Dad?” Sumdil asked.

“A robber entered the bank. The robber said if I called a number, he will give the money he stole which was 2 million dollars.” He said gloomy. Then he held a note- book in front of Sumdil.

“The robber gave me this note, he said if I cracked the code, it will give me the number to call him so he will return the money. Catch is, I have to call him before the day ends.

Sumdil looked at the note, it read: 25 5 64 8 81 9 36 49 16 9

4

Sumdil grinned after a few minutes.

“I know the number, Dad!” WHAT WAS THE NUMBER?

Next page for the answer.

Answer to: The Case of the Square Root

“58967432 is the number you should call, Dad” Sumdil knew this by looking at the first numbers which were 25 5 64 8

81 9 then he realized those pairs are SQUARE ROOT NUMBERS. The square root of 25 is 5, 64 is 8 using this sequence the numbers make the number 58967432 (you can try it for yourself!) After calling the robber, the money was mailed back to bank the next day.

The Case of The

Stolen Speech

Around the block, all the 5th and 6th graders were invited to the college speech program.

Sumdil was excited to come, he was a 6th grader. He was excited because of Wincal Tedan. Wincal was Sumdil’s cousin, the only one who lived it Texas. While Sumdil was pushing his way through the crowd, a hand suddenly pulled his. At first, Sumdil thought he was being kidnapped. The hand took him to the bathroom and locked it up.

When Sumdil looked up, it was Wincal.

“Heyo Sumdil, what’s up man?” greeted Wincal.

“Why the rush?” Sumdil asked panting.

“Sorry for the rush. But my speech was stolen! I was waiting for my turn when some girl grabbed my speech about copper! I didn’t see her, I know it was a girl since it has long hair and she was pretty tall!” Wincal whispered back.

“What can help us identify the girl?” Sumdil inquired.

“I only heard rapid tapping

sounds after it left my hand.” He replied.

“It could be Nilly; she has beef with me after I accidently struck her ankle with my baseball.” thought Wincal.

Sumdil let out a surprising shriek. Nilly couldn’t have stolen it! She broke her ankle! “Who knew about your speech of copper? Sumdil asked.

“You and me only, I never told anyone it was copper. It was supposed to be iron I told everyone that. I changed my mind right before I wrote it.” Wincal replied as they got out of the bathroom. They walked up to where Nilly was sitting.

Her ankle was wrapped in a thick, yellow cast.

Beside her, was a pair of crutches.

“That could have made the tapping sound.” Sumdil muttered.

“Where’s my speech that you stole, Nilly!” Wincal demanded.

“Such a nut head! I didn’t steal your copper speech; I just broke my ankle!” she shot back pointing to her yellow cast. “How can I run on my cast? she added in very angrily.

“Let’s get outta here,” Wincal whimpered.

“You do have a point Nilly, I know you can’t run on your cast. But you sure do have his speech, so somehow, you where fast on crutches,”

HOW DID SUMDIL KNEW NILLY STOLE WINCAL’S SPEECH?

Next page for the answer.

Answer to: The case of the Stolen Speech

The sentence:

“I didn’t steal your copper speech” gave her away. Wincal told Sumdil no one knew the speech was about copper, only him. He also said he told everybody it was going to be IRON; therefore, Nilly should have said:

“I didn’t steal your Iron speech” faced with the evidence, she confessed she had stolen the Wincal’s speech even it was against the rules because she had forgot her speech. The next day, Wincal came to Sumdil’s home, he had won first prize.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a prestigious event celebrating literary excellence across genres. Writers from around the world contribute their creative works, enriching the competition with diverse voices and narratives. As a platform, Hashtag Kalakar seeks to honor creativity, storytelling prowess, and the art of written expression, providing participants with an opportunity to showcase their talents on a global stage.

We extend our gratitude to Kiev Charles Valdez for his participation in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 with his intriguing piece, "The Case of The Wide Canal." His work exemplifies the creativity and analytical storytelling that the competition aims to highlight. Thank you, Kiev, for sharing your talent and contributing to the vibrant tapestry of this celebrated literary event.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.