Beak & Paw Detectives

“Donut must have been in a hurry,” suggested the chipmunk. “Yeah, it takes a bit of talent to read his scribbles! But I'll try!”

The lion cubs chewed on someone else's shoes,

Only half remaining, their mischief amused.

But punishment looms, severe and stern,

Yet the cubs prepare for a newfound turn.

The red wig, once green with anger's flame,

Crafts revenge mixtures, magic in its name.

Saffron and sandalwood form the base,

A brewing scandal, a captivating chase.

Hidden within our shoes, secrets lie,

Stage props kept safe, out of prying eye.

Amita dons her red nose, laughing loud,

But how dare you disrupt the playful crowd!

The elephant dances in his hat, in vain,

For amusement and jest, a harmless game.

Yet my hour nears, revenge shall unfold,

No hand-to-hand combat, a different mold.

Magic weaves like strings for marionettes,

The chief instigator reduced to ash, no regrets.

A tale of retribution, a lesson learned,

In this short verse, a twist unearned.

“These lines are relevant to our case. The lion cubs chewed their shoes, and some kind of punishment awaited them next!” Krish the peacock said thoughtfully.

“Who was going to punish them, I wonder? The clown? I can’t believe that! He's supposed to make everyone laugh!”

“Sparky the clown wears a red wig,” reminded the peacock.

“That doesn't prove anything. A wig can be stolen and used in such a way that everyone would think it was the clown's fault!”

“What does sandalwood magic have to do with it? I have a bad feeling about this. What are these revenge mixtures? If magic is involved, then the usual methods of investigation won’t be successful.”

“I don't know much about magic. You'd have to ask Barry.”

“What could be hidden in a shoe?”

“That's for us to find out!”

“Donut mentions the party. The elephant and Amita were there.”

“They were dancing and laughing. What went wrong?”

“The last quatrain really scares me,” muttered the peacock.

“Marionettes? That’s ridiculous!” exclaimed the chipmunk.

“Puppets? Dolls? What does Donut mean? How can you explain the last lines of the verse? It sounds frightening.”

“The elephant must have added it for fun or to rhyme the words,” suggested Raja.

Krish shook his head incredulously and continued, “I feel that there is much more hidden in this poem than we have realized. Let's show it to Barry the parrot.”

“Have you found anything here?” the chipmunk asked his partner.

“Yes. A little elephant figurine was under the wicker chair. It's made of sandalwood. Someone might have brought it here. It's too small to be Donut's. I'll show it to our experts.”

Chapter 3

The Frightful Morning

Waking up early in the morning, Amita could barely stand up. Her arms and legs were so stiff that every movement was difficult.

“What's wrong with me?” she whispered in horror. “Today is the circus show! How will I do my ball juggling?”

She looked at herself in the mirror and screamed, “Who is it? What's going on?”

Her mind refused to believe what was happening. Her heart was pounding frantically. Amita thought that she was just imagining things and pinched her wrist. There was a slight twinge of pain. The thought struck her that this was reality. She had turned into a doll! The girl flinched at hearing a knock on the door.

“Who's there?” she asked.

“It's me. Barry the parrot.”

“Before you enter the room, swear that you won't tell anyone what happened to me!”

“I give you my word,” Barry replied and swung the door open. He stared at her with undisguised amazement.

“You’re gorgeous as always. But I can't deny that you don't look like yourself today,” the parrot said gently. “Don't panic. You can still think, walk and talk! That's not bad under these circumstances. Try to remember what happened to you yesterday.”

Amita tried to concentrate, but her mind was muddy water.